Third Arihant class submarine quietly launched in November

The third of the Arihant-class SSBN (Sub Floor Ballistic Nuclear) submarine code-named S4, was quietly launched a while within the final week of November in Visakhapatnam.

Although this was not formally confirmed by the Ministry of Defence or the Indian Navy thus far, sources within the navy and Ship Constructing Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam, the place India’s nuclear submarines are being constructed, have confirmed it. The tender launch of S4 was first reported by UK-based Janes Defence Weekly, citing satellite tv for pc imagery sources.

The development, commissioning, testing and standing of the SSBNs are straight underneath the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) or the Strategic Nuclear Command (SNC), which is underneath the management of the PMO (Prime Minister’s Workplace). Confirming the launch, a senior naval officer mentioned that the launch of a submarine is nothing greater than getting the outer hull floated in water. It was within the dry dock space until now and it’s now within the water. It’s nonetheless a good distance for sea trials, weapon trials and commissioning, he mentioned.

The primary of the SSBN pack, INS Arihant (code title S2 was launched amidst a lot fanfare, when it was launched on July 26, 2009, with Gursharan Kaur, spouse of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, breaking a coconut on the hull, to mark its launch in Visakhapatnam.

S3 present process sea trials

But it surely took nearly 5 years, since its launch to endure its first sea trails a while in December 2014. INS Arihant was lastly commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2016.

As per sources, the second within the pack, S3 or INS Arighat is prepared and is present process superior sea trials. To finish the nuclear triad (nuclear weapon operability from air, land and sea) India goals to have at the least 4 SSBNs. It’s learnt that S4 is larger in dimension, tonnage and functionality in comparison with S2 and S3.

Sources say in contrast to S2 and S3, which may carry 4 Ok-4 or 12 Ok-15 SLBMs (submarine launched ballistic missiles), S4 is being constructed to accommodate eight Ok-4 or 24 Ok-15 SLBMs.

The missiles might be launched via vertical tubes, when the submarines are in submerged state.

The Ok-4, developed by DRDO, is examined and cleared for manufacturing, is variant of land-based ballistic missile Agni – III, and has a spread of about 3,500 km.

However, Ok-15 is the variant of Shaurya and has a spread of 750 to 1,500 km, relying on the dimensions of the warhead.