India’s naval power is set for a significant boost following a cryptic but pointed message from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. In a post on X, Singh hinted at the imminent launch of the country’s third indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine, writing: “It’s not a word, it means power, ‘Aridhaman’!”
The timing of the announcement is hardly coincidental. The Defence Minister is currently in Visakhapatnam — the strategic hub where India’s nuclear fleet is both constructed and based — to commission the advanced stealth frigate Taragiri. The expected induction of INS Aridhaman represents a major leap forward for India’s sea-based nuclear deterrence, offering a more formidable strike potential and improved survivability in accordance with the nation’s nuclear doctrine.
Aridhaman follows in the wake of INS Arihant, commissioned in 2016, and INS Arighaat, which joined the fleet in August 2024. Having successfully navigated its final sea trials, the new vessel is prepared to join the Strategic Forces Command. Although it has ancestry similar to its predecessors, Aridhaman is a more evolved creature. With a displacement of about 7,000 tonnes, Aridhaman is slightly larger than its predecessors. It has a more streamlined design intended to make it stealthier with a lower acoustic signature. At its core is an enhanced 83 MW pressurised water reactor, which is a Bhabha Atomic Research Centre design.
The most critical upgrade, however, lies in its firepower. Aridhaman features eight vertical launch tubes—doubling the capacity of the original Arihant. This enables the submarine to carry up to eight K-4 long-range missiles with a range of 3,500 km or even up to 24 K-15 missiles with a range of 750 km. This is a game-changer for the Indian Navy as it enables "continuous at-sea deterrence," which is a strategy that guarantees at least one nuclear-capable submarine is at sea at any given time.
The construction of the vessel is in line with the timelines indicated by the Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, who had indicated that the vessel would be ready for commissioning between April and May. Speaking late last year, the Admiral confirmed that the submarine had moved into the final, rigorous stages of testing. With Singh’s latest public endorsement, it appears the Indian Navy is now on the cusp of officially welcoming its most powerful silent hunter to the fleet.
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