India declared that its nuclear triad is operational after indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol.

INS Arihant, a 6,000-tonne submarine is the lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. About:

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• Power source: INS Arihant is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core with enriched uranium fuel.
  
  
• Builder: Shipbuilding Centre (SBC), Visakhapatnam. It’s India’s first indigenously built nuclear submarine.
  
  
• SSBN: It is a ‘Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear Submarine’ (SSBN). SSBN's are those class of submarines which can go deep beneath the ocean making them virtually undetectable for months, they also carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
  
  
• Armament:
  • It is capable of carrying ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
    
    
  • It is presently armed with the K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 km.
    
    
  • Later, it will also be armed with K-4 missiles, being developed by the DRDO, which are capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 3,500 km.
    
    
  • These 'K' series of missiles are named after former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
    
    
  
  
  

 Timeline:

• 1980s & 1990s: The Advanced Technology Project (ATV) project began in the 1980s, although actual construction started in late
  
  
• 2009: First of the ATV Submarine was Launched by PM Manmohan Singh.
  
  
• 2013: The nuclear reactor of the submarine went ‘critical’.
  
  
• 2016: According to Media Reports, Arihant was quietly commissioned into service in August 2016 by PM Modi but its induction was never officially acknowledged.
  
  
• 2018 (November): INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol. This means that Arihant is now prowling the deep seas carrying ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads.
  
  

 What next?

• Besides INS Arihant, India has plans to build three more similar vessels under the ATV program, two of which will be larger in size and capable of being armed with longer range missiles.
  
  
• The second submarine of its class, INS Arighat, is currently undergoing trials and expected to join service three years from now.
  
  

 Significance:

1. Nuclear triad: With its induction India completed its ‘nuclear triad’ i.e. India can launch nuclear missile from all three key defence bastions — land, air and sea. Triad is important because in an enemy strike, even if the other wings are destroyed, the third can launch a retaliatory strike thus providing a guaranteed ‘second strike’ capability to the country.
   
   
2. Stealth capability: Due to satellites, other legs of our nuclear triad (missile sites and air-bases) remain exposed to enemy attack. However, being a SSBN, it can stay deep inside the ocean making them virtually undetectable for months.
   
   
3. Part of Elite club: INS Arihant places India in the league of select group of five Countries — US, Russia, France, UK and China — which can design, construct and operate Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarines.
   
   
4. Boost to submarine fleet: Adding Arihant is a boost to depleting submarine fleet of India.
   1. In August 2016 it was reported that only seven submarines are available for deployment, though India owns 14 conventional submarines.
      
      
   2. Further these submarines have to be split on either coast; are run on either battery or diesel; have already completed a life-span of 20 years or more, on average.
      
      
   
   
   
5. Countering Sino-Pak axis:
   1. In the words of PM Modi, while India “remains committed to the doctrine of Credible Minimum Deterrence and No First Use,” the success of INS Arihant gives a fitting response to those who indulge in ‘Nuclear Blackmail’.
      
      
   2. It also comes against the backdrop of news reports of presence of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean region.
      
      
   
   
   
6. Indigenous: Apart from its strategic significance, the Arihant is a live manifestation of PM Modi’s “Make in India” vision as It is India’s first indigenously built nuclear submarine.
   
   

 Challenges and Way ahead:

However, India cannot afford to rest on its laurels, though. Much more needs to be done to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.

1. More submarines:
   1. Experts believe that in addition to the 4 large SSBNs, India would require an inventory of at least 3-4 SSBNs to maintain a real sea-based deterrence on the eastern and western seaboards.
      
      
   2. India will also need a force of 6 to 8 tactical attack nuclear submarines (SSNs) for protection of SSBNs.
      
      
   
   
   
2. Time Lag: The entire process of developing INS Arihant till completion of deterrence patrol, took about 20 years. It is expected that, based on the experience gained, next lot of nuclear submarines in this important programme shouldn’t take as long.
   
   
3. Enhanced Missile range: To retain its stealth and avoid detection, an SSBN needs to operate from a larger sea area, and hence would need a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) of 6,000-8,000-km range to counter regional powers.
   
   
4. The command and control structures for an SSBN on a fully-loaded deterrence patrol have to be robust and fool-proof, because any error can lead to mass destruction.
   
   

In short, India has a long way to go, though the INS Arihant deterrence patrol is a significant milestone.