India’s Second Nuclear Submarine

Why in the news?

Recently, the second nuclear submarine in the Indian Navy, INS Arighat, has been commissioned. With the induction of INS Arighat, India hopes to fortify its nuclear triad, improve nuclear deterrence, contribute to regional peace and strategic balance, and take a leading role in national security.

What are Submarines?

Specialized vessels known as submarines are able to conduct independent underwater operations for lengthy periods of time with the use of onboard technologies and power. Because of their agility and stealth, they are essential in naval combat. They are capable of carrying out anti-submarine and intelligence-gathering missions as an essential component of maritime defence. Submarines of today are extremely powerful naval assets because of their sophisticated armament, communication, and navigation systems.

India’s maritime interests are well-served by a sizable fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines and various types of diesel-electric attack submarines that are capable of firing ballistic missiles. To further bolster its naval capabilities, India is building new destroyers, ships, and submarines to go along with its current fleet.

Navigation

Due to the limited penetration of light, submarines navigate the ocean with very little visibility. For surface navigation, they employ GPS, and for underwater navigation, they use inertial guiding systems.

1. Inertial guidance systems: They use gyroscopes to provide both mechanical and electrical inertial guidance systems underwater.
   o These systems have a 150-hour accuracy range. They must be realigned with other surface-dependent navigational systems like GPS, Radar, radio and satellites.
2. SONAR: Submarines can detect and track other vessels by using SONAR technology, which emits and analyzes sound waves.

• Sonars are utilized in both passive (sound produced by the target) and active (sound produced by submarines and subsequently reflected by the target) modes.
• They help submarines avoid undersea threats and assist in identifying obstructions to the Earth’s magnetic field.

Types of Submarines

Submarines can be classified into two categories based on their propulsion technology: diesel-powered conventional attack submarines (SSKs) and nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs and SSBNs).

India’s Nuclear Triad :

The term “nuclear triad” describes a nation’s capacity to fire nuclear missiles from platforms located on land, in the air, and the sea.

India’s nuclear trio: India possesses nuclear triad capabilities, placing it in a limited group of nations. These nations consist of France, China, Russia, and the United States.

Sea-based deterrence

1. INS Arihant : INS Arihant, India’s first domestically developed Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN), entered service with the Navy in 2016, providing India with maritime strike capabilities for the first time. The submarine undertook its first deterrence patrol in 2018, thereby completing India’s nuclear triad.
2. INS Arighat: INS Arighat is the second indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) built by India, following INS Arihant, the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine.
3. S-4: India’s third indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) after INS Arihant and Arighat, with more space for nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

Land Based Deterrence

1. Agni Series

These ballistic missiles are among India’s most prominent strategic weapons. The series includes Agni-1 (700-1,250 km range), Agni-II (2,000- 3,000 km range), Agni-III (3,000-5,000 km range), Agni-IV (4,000 km range), and Agni-V (5,000 range and Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles tech)

2. Prithvi Series

The Prithvi series comprises short-range ballistic missiles that carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

3. Shaurya

A land-based hypersonic missile designed to deliver nuclear payloads with precision at hypersonic speeds within a range of around 700-1,000 km

Air Based Deterrence

1. Rafale

The Rafale aircraft has equipped the Indian Air Force with a sophisticated platform capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

What is INS Arighat? What are the features of INS Arighat?

What is the Significance of INS Arighat?

1. Boost to India’s nuclear capability:A major boost to India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities is provided with the introduction of INS Arighat, the second nuclear-powered submarine of the Arihant class.
2. Strengthening the nuclear triad—the capacity to launch missiles from land, air, and sea platforms—improves regional security. India’s strategic influence is increased and regional security is improved by its deployment.
3. Execution and survivability: Considering India’s nuclear policy of “no first use,” these submarines are capable of both carrying out retaliation strikes and surviving a surprise attack.
4. More advanced: With indigenous systems and equipment that were conceptualized, designed, manufactured, and integrated by Indian scientists, industry, and navy personnel, the Arighaat is substantially more technologically advanced than the Arihant.

What are the Challenges with India’s Nuclear Deterrence?

Sea-Based Deterrence Challenges

Sea-Based Deterrence Challenges

1. India’s sea-based deterrent is smaller compared to its foreign counterparts. Nations like the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China operate larger nuclear submarines with longer-range missiles. For instance, China has 12 nuclear submarines, including six nuclear-powered attack submarines, while the United States has 14 Ohio-class SSBNs and 53 fast-attack submarines.
2. A large share of the submarine fleet is currently under maintenance—about 30 percent of the submarines are undergoing refit, which has diminished the number of operational vessels.

Other Deterrence Challenges

1. Insufficient nuclear testing facilities—The shortage of adequate testing resources limits the ability to design re-entry vehicles capable of carrying warheads effectively.
2. Uncertainty Around Warhead Capacity—There is a lack of transparency regarding the number of warheads the Agni-V can carry, given its classified nature. Nonetheless, specialists estimate that it can carry up to three warheads at most.\
3. Small Yield of Nuclear Warheads—There are apprehensions that the yield of India’s nuclear warheads is constrained by the small number of atomic tests performed.
4. Challenges in Sea-Based Nuclear Deterrence—Deep-sea communication issues with SSBNs arise because the very low-frequency systems used are susceptible to interference at great depths.
5. Rapid Growth of Chinese Nuclear Arsenal—Beijing is accelerating its missile and missile defense programs, leading to a swift expansion of its nuclear arsenal.

What Should be the Way Forward?

1. Early Trials for Long-Range SLBM—To strengthen its nuclear capabilities, India should initiate testing of its long-range SLBM, which can be launched from its nuclear submarines.
2. Funding Missile Defense Systems—In response to China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, India should invest in the development and deployment of advanced missile defence systems, including the accelerated development of Agni VI.
3. Boosting Conventional Military Strength—While ensuring a credible nuclear deterrent, India should also work on enhancing its conventional military capabilities to prevent conflicts from escalating to the nuclear level.
4. Allied Cooperation—India should continue to work closely with its allies, such as the United States, to deter potential threats. This cooperation might include intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, and collaborative defense strategies.

Explore our courses: https://apnipathshala.com/courses/

Explore Our test Series: https://tests.apnipathshala.com/