In a giant technological leap that will eventually lead to India having a full-fledged nuclear triad capability, the nuclear reactor on board the INS Arihant indigenous nuclear-powered submarine was activated and “attained criticality” early on Saturday morning, the ministry of defence (MoD) confirmed.
The INS Arihant will soon start sea-trials in the next few months before it is operationalised in the Indian Navy. India has been conducting tests of a 700 km-range Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile System (SLBM) from an under-water pontoon and the SLBM will eventually be fitted on to the Arihant. An SLBM fitted onto the INS Arihant will give the country a “credible second-(nuclear) strike capability” from the sea. This will be critical if a surprise nuclear attack on India wipes out strategically-located land-based weapon and communication systems. India will then be able to retaliate by launching a nuclear-tipped SLBM missile from the 110-metre long, 6,000-tonne Arihant.
The nuclear triad refers to the capability to launch nuclear weapons from the land, air and sea. Incidentally, the Sanskrit word Arihant means “Destroyer of Enemies.” Though the Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) submarine INS Arihant is an indigenously-built submarine, Russia has extended valuable technological help for the project which was termed the “Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)” project including the functioning of the nuclear reactor. Incidentally, India also plans to develop two more nuclear-powered submarines. The milestone comes, even as India will “launch” — a term that refers to lowering the vessel into water — its first indigenous aircraft carrier on August 12.
On Saturday, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and defence minister A.K. Antony hailed the attainment of criticality of the nuclear-propulsion reactor in the Arihant as an important milestone.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said, “I am delighted to learn that the nuclear propulsion reactor on board INS Arihant, India’s first indigenous nuclear powered submarine, has now achieved criticality. ... Today’s development represents a giant stride in the progress of our indigenous technological capabilities. It is testimony to the ability of our scientists, technologists and defence personnel to work together for mastering complex technologies in the service of our nation’s security ... I look forward to the early commissioning of the INS Arihant,” even as he congratulated the Department of Atomic Energy, the Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the “important milestone”.