Bolstering deterrence through submarine dominance – The Hindu

On April 3, the word ‘Aridhaman’ found mention in India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s cryptic post on the social media platform X, prompting widespread speculation that it indeed signalled the quiet commissioning of INS Aridhaman, the third submarine in the Indian Navy’s SSBN (nuclear ballistic missile submarine) programme. Launched in 2009, the Indian Navy commissioned its first SSBN, INS Arihant, in 2016, followed by the second submarine, INS Arighat, in 2024. Speculation about the commissioning of INS Aridhaman assumed momentum since last year after Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, Chief of Naval Staff, confirmed that the submarine was in the final stages of its trials. The next submarine in this series, which is of the Arihant class as well, is likely to be commissioned next year. 

Compared to its predecessors, INS Arihant and INS Arighat, INS Aridhaman has greater firing power and marks a gradual upgrade in the series of SSBNs commissioned by the Indian Navy. It is a larger 7000-tonne vessel, which can reportedly carry up to 24 K-15 Sagarika missiles, and up to eight nuclear-tipped K-4 or K-5 missiles. In contrast, the previous submarines in this series hold the capacity for carrying twelve K-15 Sagarika missiles and four K-4 missiles.