INS ARIDAMAN

NEWS: India inducts 3rd Nuclear-Powered Submarine ‘INS Aridaman’

CONTEXT

• Part of India’s Arihant-class submarines
• INS Aridamanà more advanced ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) than its predecessors INS Arihant (2016) and INS Arighaat (2024).

India’s Nuclear Powered Submarine Programme

• The Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programmeà Involving both private firms+ the Defence Research & Development Organisation+ help from Russia.
• Focusà Developing the ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs)ànuclear propelled+ carry multiple sets of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs

Significance of Nuclear Powered Submarines for India

• Cements India’s position in the select group of nations (alongside the US, Russia, China, and France) àcapable of launching nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea.
• Carries nuclear ballistic missiles, strengthening India’s deterrence against regional adversaries China and Pakistan.
• Nuclear propulsion allows long underwater missions, making it highly survivable and hard to detect.
• Showcases guarantee of India’s second-strike capability with No-first Use policy.