- 18 hours ago
India has commissioned its third indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridhaman, significantly enhancing its sea-based nuclear deterrent. Larger and more advanced than INS Arihant and INS Arighat, it carries eight vertical launch tubes for K-4 or K-15 missiles and runs on an upgraded 83-megawatt reactor, with improved stealth capabilities.
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00:15Hello and a very warm welcome to a special edition of Battlecry. I'm Gaurav Savant.
00:20The world is in turmoil, but India is silently sailing ahead. Quietly and firmly. A cryptic social media post by
00:31Union Defence Minister Rajdath Singh,
00:34Shabd nahi shakti hai aridaman. Aridaman is not a word. Aridaman symbolizes power. This cryptic post led to celebrations across
00:47the strategic community
00:49in India. Aridaman is the name of India's third indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine, the SSBN.
00:58Now let me tell you a little more about the pride of the nation, the third of the Arihant class
01:03of nuclear submarines, INS Aridaman, SSBN.
01:08Now you'll wonder, what is SSBN? For those not familiar, SSBN is standard NATO or naval classification code for a
01:17type of submarine,
01:18SSBN stands for ship submersible ballistic nuclear. The SSBN INS Aridaman has been developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
01:31indigenously in India.
01:34The nuclear-powered submarines are being built under India's Advanced Technology Vessel or ATV program at Vishakhapatna.
01:43Incidentally, INS Aridaman is bigger and deadlier than its two predecessors, the INS Arihant and the INS Arihant.
01:52The INS Aridaman is armed with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. INS Aridaman is expected to bolster India's sea-based nuclear
02:02deterrence.
02:03It's meant to enhance both India's strike potential, the second-strike capability and survivability in line with the country's nuclear
02:14doctrine.
02:15This is part of India's triad.
02:18INS Aridaman is bigger and better compared to the predecessors, INS Arihant and INS Arihant.
02:26INS Aridaman is equipped with eight vertical launch tubes, double the capacity of INS Arihant.
02:34So, Aridaman is designed to carry either eight of the K-4.
02:39K-4 are long-range missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometres or up to 20 K-15 missiles.
02:47Now, K-15s have a range of approximately 750 kilometres.
02:52So, depending on the mission, these are the missiles the submarine can carry.
02:57The nuclear submarine is powered by an upgraded 83-megawatt pressurized power reactor or the PWR.
03:04It is acoustic, it has acoustic dampeners.
03:10It's called anechoic, anechoic acoustic dampeners.
03:14It too, and also has an advanced sonar suite.
03:17So, that also enhances its survivability.
03:22Remains underwater undetected.
03:24The silent predator, the silent killer lurking underwater.
03:29INS Arihant will permit India to maintain continuous at-sea deterrence
03:35and strengthen India's second-strike capabilities, a cornerstone of a nuclear defence strategy.
03:41Indian Navy, like we mentioned, operates two other SSBNs, INS Arihant.
03:46Arihant, incidentally, was commissioned in August 2016 and INS Arihant commissioned in August 2024.
03:54The country, incidentally, is also building two more SSBNs, larger and more lethal.
04:01The Navy also, of course, has an ambitious plan to build fully indigenously designed nuclear attack submarines,
04:09the SSNs, by 2036 and 2037.
04:12We'll get you more on that story.
04:14But the images that you see on your television screen are a very proud day for the nation.
04:19Quietly, INS Aridaman is commissioned, joins the fleet, the strategic forces.
04:26Now, the country is also celebrating the commissioning of INS Taragiri.
04:32The INS Taragiri is a Project 17A advanced stealth frigate armed with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
04:40Now, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned this advanced stealth frigate INS Taragiri at Vishakhapatnam.
04:46Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, were among the attendees.
04:54Now, take a look at Taragiri.
04:566,670 tonne displacement, Project 17A stealth frigate.
05:01Now, this embodies the spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, a make in India.
05:07Built by the Mazagao Docks Limited shipbuilders.
05:10Now, this frigate actually represents a generational leap over the earlier design of the Project 17A.
05:18So, this is sleeker.
05:20It has a significantly reduced radar cross-section and that adds to the stealth.
05:27It gives it enhanced stealth.
05:29The indigenous content exceeds 75% and according to the shipbuilders,
05:33more than 200 micro, small and medium enterprises companies, MSME companies were a part of this project.
05:43INS Taragiri is designed for high-speed, high-endurance, versatile, multi-dimensional maritime operations.
05:50The ship's weapon suite is believed to be world-class.
05:53It features supersonic surface-to-surface or ship-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles and specialized anti
06:01-submarine warfare suite.
06:03Now, these systems are seamlessly integrated according to the Navy through a state-of-the-art combat management system.
06:10And what does this do?
06:11This ensures that the sailors on board, the crew, they can respond to any threat, whether it comes from the
06:19skies, whether it comes from the surface, sea or a submarine threat.
06:25Within split seconds, a decision can be taken.
06:28Before I get you more on the Navy stretching its sea legs, let's listen in to Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
06:37I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
07:17And joining me for more on this major development, our Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, former Deputy Chief of Naval Staff,
07:25former Chief of the Strategic Forces and the First Commanding Officer of INS Arehant.
07:30Sir, welcome also with me, my colleague, friend, senior journalist and author, Sandeep Unnithan.
07:37Admiral Mahindru, your thoughts on the commissioning and that rather cryptic post of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh,
07:45Shabd nahi, shakti hai, Ari Dhaman.
07:52Thank you, Gaurav, for the question.
07:55Certainly, the commissioning of RNS, Ari Dhaman, as we have learned from the cryptic message of the respected Raksha Mantri,
08:04is an extremely significant event for the country and the Navy.
08:09As a country, through this commissioning, we have reaffirmed our commitment to our nuclear doctrine of no first use
08:17because by strengthening sea-based deterrence, we have strengthened the ability for a retaliatory strike which is a critical part
08:27of no first use.
08:31As a Navy, we have shown that we have achieved a high degree of consistency and maturity in nuclear submarine
08:40design and construction.
08:43And as a Navy, we have also shown that we have gained a high degree of confidence and predictability in
08:52the conduct of trials
08:54which are extensive in case of nuclear submarines.
08:57So, in each way, I think it is an extremely significant day today and we must rejoice in this event.
09:08Oh, absolutely. What a great day for the country, Sandeep.
09:12And I want to know your thoughts, Sandeep.
09:14You've tracked the ATV project for the India Today magazine since 2008, if I remember correctly.
09:20The third submarine is now a part of the Strategic Forces Command.
09:24What a day. What a journey, Sandeep.
09:26What a day and what a journey indeed, Gaurav.
09:28You know, this is a project that India has, you know, been planning for many, many decades.
09:35From the late 1960s, the project actually began in 1984.
09:40But the first steel on the INS Arihant was cut in 1998, shortly after the Pokharan 2 nuclear tests.
09:47And the big milestones were, of course, as you mentioned, the INS Arihant launch in 2009, the commissioning in 2016,
09:55and after that, it went on deterrent patrol.
09:57So, these submarines are a class apart, Gaurav.
10:00They are India's most advanced, not just defense technological projects, but the greatest technological projects that India has ever accomplished
10:12since independence.
10:13They are such versatile technology platforms.
10:17Think of it, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine that hides under the sea and launches long-range submarine-launched
10:25ballistic missiles that shoot out into space and come back to strike at enemies.
10:307,000 tons is how big the Arihant is.
10:34The Arihant, of course, is lighter, 6,000 tons.
10:37The S5, which will eventually join the fleet in the 2030s, is over 13,000 tons.
10:44And all of this, Gaurav, is being done in utter secrecy, completely away from the public gaze.
10:51They are some of our most important defense platforms.
10:55They are strategic assets.
10:56India is only the sixth country in the world to have developed this capability, this capacity to build its own
11:04nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, Gaurav.
11:06When you look at these images, they fill you with a sense of immense pride, immense joy and satisfaction.
11:14Admiral Mahindro, from Arihant to Arihdaman, how far have we traveled in terms of the nuclear submarine capabilities, sir?
11:28We have come a long way from where we were with Arihant to where we are today with Arihdaman.
11:35I will cover this under three aspects.
11:38Firstly, look at the timelines.
11:41In Arihant, we took almost 8 to 9 years from her launch to her commissioning.
11:47In the case of Arihant, we reduced it to just about 7 years.
11:53And in the case of Arihdaman, we have brought this time to 5 years.
11:59Now that is a significant reduction in time from launch to commissioning, means that we have to complete the outfitting,
12:08conduct trials in harbour and sea.
12:11The second aspect is that we have now established a longer-range missile, the K-4 missile, which has a
12:21range of 3,500 kilometres.
12:24You will remember when we commissioned Arihant, there was a great furore to say that the range of the missile
12:30is so little that it hardly qualifies as an SSBN.
12:34I think we have put all such talk to rest.
12:39Now we have SSBN, which has a substantial range of its SSBNs and numbers have also doubled from the Arihats
12:514 to 8.
12:52And third achievement, of course, is the enhanced indigenization of the boats.
13:00While in Arihant, we had approximately 55 to 60% indigenization.
13:05In case of Arighat, we achieved about 70 to 75% indigenization.
13:12And I am certain that in Arihant, we would have touched 80% indigenization.
13:18So in all these ways, I think we have moved a long way from Arihant to Arihant.
13:26That's so heartening to hear, sir Sandeep, from Arihant in 2016 to Arihant in 2026.
13:33Three nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable missiles.
13:37Look at the amount of F that would give us in, you know, the area of responsibility in the Indian
13:44Ocean region, Sandeep.
13:45Absolutely, Gaurav.
13:46You know, and the fact is that with three submarines now, you can maintain what is known as continuous at
13:52-sea deterrence patrols, CASD.
13:54With two, which is what we had until now, with two nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, you could barely manage
14:02a continuous at-sea deterrence.
14:03With three, you become a lot more comfortable.
14:06And with four, you are assured of a continuous at-sea denial, sea deterrence capability.
14:12So that is where the, you know, Arihant really fits in, into the nuclear warfighting strategy.
14:17It's a very important pillar of India's no-first-use doctrine.
14:22And, of course, that it's virtually invulnerable as a pillar of our second-strike capability, Gaurav.
14:29Because that was what will make the enemy think twice before trying any mischief with India.
14:36Admiral Mahendru, what signal would this send out to India's adversaries in your appreciation?
14:42You've commanded a nuclear submarine, you've sailed in, submarines anyway sail in combat at all times.
14:50What your appreciation, sir?
14:54Gaurav, I think it sends very clear signals to our adversaries.
14:59We live in an era of nuclear lawlessness, where there is no arms limitation treaty.
15:06The United Nations by itself, as we have seen in epic fury, has lost its teeth.
15:12And we live in a very tough neighbourhood surrounded by two neighbours who are nuclear powers,
15:18and with whom we have long land-border disputes.
15:22So, the signal to them is very clear, and to anyone else who may have immunical views towards our country,
15:30that we ourselves have no ambitions to aggress or transgress on anybody else's territory.
15:40But it is a clear warning that we are capable of defending our interests in all conditions,
15:47conventionally, as far as we can do so, and even in the terms of nuclear deterrence.
15:57Sandeep, having three nuclear-powered submarines, and made-in-India nuclear-powered submarines,
16:03these submarines lurking underwater, whether it's North Arabian Sea or South China Sea,
16:09or anywhere in the world, any adversary would think twice before launching any misadventure against India?
16:16This would set us a league apart?
16:19Absolutely, Gaurav. And you know, the fact is, as Admiral Mahindru mentioned,
16:23that these are very important in today's era of lawlessness, where nations are threatening each other,
16:29where, you know, the adage of the strong do as they please, and the weak must suffer as they must.
16:36Our founding fathers understood this very clearly, Gaurav, and that is the reason we have a nuclear weapons programme.
16:42And the Ari Daman is the manifestation of that nuclear weapons programme,
16:48that you have the Arihant-class submarines as the most survivable leg of the nuclear triad.
16:54Once an Arihant-class submarine sails out at sea, it's almost impossible to detect.
16:59And given the kind of advances that are being made in technology today,
17:02you're seeing the ease with which targets are being picked up on the surface of the sea,
17:08on the surface of the land, and being destroyed by powerful adversaries.
17:12So this is a very, very important leg. It's a secure, survivable leg of our nuclear triad.
17:20And of course, it sends out a very powerful signal to our adversaries,
17:23that if you ever attempt to strike us with nuclear weapons,
17:28then you will have retaliation, which is swift and which is assured.
17:32Let me bring in Admiral Mahindra once again.
17:36On a bigger picture, sir, when you look at lawlessness all around,
17:41when the sea is right now, it's virtually might is right.
17:47Sea lanes of communication should be open, but they aren't.
17:50Does having a nuclear-powered submarine and nuclear weapons,
17:56does it bolster India's position as a net security provider in the region?
18:03Not just the submarines, but our entire might at sea.
18:11Most certainly, I think this event further strengthens the Indian Navy's image
18:19as a net security provider and as the first responder in our area of operations.
18:24Firstly, by being more confident and assured of making nuclear submarines,
18:31we will then be able to construct and operationalize our SSNs faster.
18:36And these boats will ensure that the sea lanes of communication,
18:41whose importance has been very demonstrated in Epic Fury,
18:45will remain open as they provide confidence to all seafarers
18:50that anyone imnical to them will not be allowed to carry out their designs.
18:57It also allows us to keep the choke points free from anybody's bad eyes.
19:04If they want to stop trade along the choke points,
19:07certainly we will be able to reach there faster
19:09and make sure that no one is able to then do anything which is adversarial.
19:16I think the map that you showed a week ago,
19:20when you were hosting the conclave in Bombay with CNC West,
19:25with the Indian Ocean on top rather than down,
19:30is an important map to look at.
19:33Our country needs to understand that we are blessed
19:36with the 70,000 million square kilometers of the Indian Ocean,
19:40which opens so many opportunities and such a lot of abundance,
19:45that we must ensure that our maritime strength grows from one rung to the next
19:53and keeps us on the path of growth and economic strength.
20:02Admiral, since you mentioned that conversation I had with Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan,
20:07Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command,
20:09and the two maps we showed,
20:11I want our viewers to look at that map and that question I posed to Admiral Swaminathan.
20:19Re-imagine India.
20:21The way we look at India traditionally,
20:24the Himalayas on top and the seas, you know, in peninsular India,
20:29just turn that map around.
20:31Is that the way we need to appreciate our country and our power?
20:36Listen in to my conversation,
20:38with a small portion of my conversation with Admiral Swaminathan.
20:43I want to show us a map.
20:45And this map is more for the rest of the country to reimagine India.
20:52Now, how do we imagine India right now?
20:55We imagine India like that.
20:57That's the way we've been traditionally taught we are.
21:01Is it time for us to imagine India like that?
21:06That will project our real maritime power.
21:11We've had this conversation a long time back, by the way.
21:16So, thank you so much for showing this map.
21:19You know, this is something that the Indian Navy has been showing
21:23wherever it can and to whoever cares to see it,
21:26for many years, for the longest time of our conversation.
21:30We'd like to see India.
21:31You know, we are naturally oriented to looking towards the north
21:35and saying that's the north and this is the south.
21:36But the fact is, you know, it escapes our attention very easily
21:40that we are surrounded by such a huge ocean mass.
21:44And therefore, you know, this is the picture that we need to see
21:48because all the outflows from India, all our intellectual energies,
21:52all our cultural, you know, associations, all our trade links,
21:55they need to flow out from the peninsula of India.
21:57And I think this is a very good depiction of how important the seas
22:01that surround us is to our security and our national well-being.
22:06When we say Shannoh Varuna, we need to appreciate this is how we need to look at India.
22:14Isn't it, Sandeep?
22:15Future generations, that's how we'll realize our real power.
22:19Absolutely, Gaurav.
22:20You know, the seas are important not just for the survivable second-strike deterrent,
22:25but also for our trade, our maritime commerce.
22:28In fact, our economic well-being depends solely on our access to the sea lanes of communication,
22:35being open all the time.
22:37And that's why, you know, we've invested so heavily on the Navy.
22:41We have the kind of platforms, we have a Blue Water Navy, we have aircraft carriers,
22:45and of course, nuclear-powered submarines.
22:47Now, this is all part of the larger strategy of keeping the sea lanes of communication open.
22:54The fact that that map you just showed us tells us how important the seas are for India's growth,
23:01for India's very survival as, you know, a very, very important member of the Committee of Nations.
23:07And of course, the world's third largest economy by the end of this decade.
23:12None of this would be possible if we didn't have the access to the seas,
23:16and of course, safe and secure seas, Gaurav.
23:18That's a very significant point that you make.
23:20And this is one aspect that we must understand and appreciate.
23:26To be a strong economic power, we have to be a very strong military power.
23:32And our Navy has to be very strong to ensure we command the seas.
23:37Admiral Mahindru and Sandeep for joining me here on this Battle Cry special broadcast.
23:43Many thanks.
23:44We'll be tracking these developments very, very closely.
23:47But that is all I have for you on this special broadcast.
23:50Many thanks for watching.
23:51News and updates continue on India Today.
23:54Stay with us.
23:54.
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