INS Arihant completes deterrence patrol |
INS Arihant, India`s first indigenously developed nuclear submarine, returned to the Indian shores on Nov 5, 2018, after successfully completing its first deterrence patrol. The submarine is a vital cog in India`s quest in attaining a minimum deterrent nuclear `triad` – the ability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from land, air and sea.The submarine was sanctioned using secret funds in the late 1970s by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after India conducted its first nuclear test. The design and technology of INS Arihant was locked in 1984 when the formal go-ahead was given. Work on the submarine started in 1998. It took the Ship Building Centre (SBC) almost 11 years to construct the country`s first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine. INS Arihant was launched on July 26, 2009 by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mark 10 years since the end of the Kargil War. In August 2013, the submarine`s atomic reactor was activated. In August 2016, Prime Minister Modi inducted the submarine into the Navy.INS Arihant is a 6,000-tonne submarine with a length of 110 metres and a breadth of 11 metres. The vessel will be able to carry 12 Sagarika K 15 submarine launched ballistic missiles that have a range of over 700 km.
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