New Delhi:
India’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant successfully test-fired a ballistic missile today, a major milestone as earlier test-firings were done from fixed underwater pontoons; this time the submarine itself launched the missile.
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The submarine-launched ballistic missile test proves the credibility of India’s naval nuclear deterrent. Indian ballistic missile submarines may now be able to target China and Pakistan from underwater locations when deployed.
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The latest submarine-launched ballistic missile test proves that the home-made INS Arihant class submarines are operational in all respects.
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“All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement today after the test-firing.
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The submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM, was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy, the Defence Ministry said.
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The successful test launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate India’s ballistic missile submarine programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.
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“A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins its ‘no first use’ commitment,” the Defence Ministry said.
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India operates three home-made ballistic missile submarines, and has developed two submarine-launched surface-to-surface missiles-the K-15 and the K-4. The latter has a range of 3,500 km, which acts as a nuclear deterrent against China.
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The programme to build nuclear-powered submarines and fit them with submarine-launched ballistic missiles is, by far, the most complicated weapons development programme India has ever engaged in.
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India is the 6th country in the world to have nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles after the US, Russia, the UK, France and China.
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INS Arihant is India’s first home-made nuclear submarine. It was launched in July 2009, the anniversary of Vijay Diwas (Kargil War Victory Day) by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur.