INS Arihant
Encyclopedia
INS Arihant (S-73) is the lead ship of India
's Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarine
s. The 5,000–6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam
.
The symbolic launch ceremony for the Arihant was held on 26 July 2009, the anniversary of Vijay Diwas
(Kargil War
Victory Day). The name of the vessel, Arihant is in Sanskrit and literally translates into destroyer of enemies. The completion of the INS Arihant will make India one of six countries in the world with the ability to design, build, and operate its own nuclear submarines.
's secretive Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project. The submarine is reported to be similar to the Russian Charlie-II class
submarine, which India leased from the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991. Arihant will be more of "a technology demonstrator", rather than a fully operational SSBN according to Admiral Verma.
The vessel will be powered by an 85 MW pressurized water reactor
with enriched uranium
fuel. A land-based prototype of the reactor was first built at Kalpakkam and made operational in September 2006. Successful operation over a period of three years yielded the data that enabled the production version for Arihant. It was reported that a 80MW nuclear reactor was integrated into the hull of the ATV in January 2008.
The hull for the vessel was built by L&T's Hazira shipbuilding facility. Tata Power
built the control systems for the submarine. The systems for the steam turbine integrated with the reactor are supplied by Walchandnagar Industries
.
's wife Gursharan Kaur
. The launch coincided with the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Kargil War
. and consisted of floating the vessel by flooding the dry dock. It was reported that the Arihant was launched without key systems including its nuclear reactor, surveillance equipment, and ordinance. Per naval tradition, Gursharan Kaur cracked a coconut
on the hull to mark the launch of the submarine at the secret naval base 'Matsya' in Visakhapatnam. Photography was prohibited and photos showing the complete vessel are not available. In his address to the crowd, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
billed the submarine as an outcome of a public-private partnership. He also thanked Russia
in his address stating "I would also like to express our appreciation to our Russian friends for their consistent and invaluable cooperation, which symbolizes the close strategic partnership that we enjoy with Russia". The launch of Arihant strengthens India's endeavor to build a credible nuclear triad
— the capability to fire nuclear weapons from air, land and sea.
On the condition of anonymity, a nuclear scientist familiar with the project echoed this report in response to the media coverage that India had successfully launched a completed nuclear submarine. It was also expected that the duplication of India's land based reactor, integration of systems, and sea trials are expected to take three to five years.
It was reported that the nuclear reactor and other systems were not included at the time of the submarine's launch. Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said in December 2009, "Work is in progress to make INS Arihant operational for sea-trials...it should be inducted in two years or so." In 2010, the submarine was reported to have begun its sea trials with the submarine to be formally inducted into the Indian Navy
by 2011. Full integration of key systems and sea trials are expected to be extensive.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
s. The 5,000–6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
.
The symbolic launch ceremony for the Arihant was held on 26 July 2009, the anniversary of Vijay Diwas
Kargil vijay diwas
Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after the success of Operation Vijay. On this day, 26 July 1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders. The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days, ended on 26 July. and resulted in the loss of life on both...
(Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
Victory Day). The name of the vessel, Arihant is in Sanskrit and literally translates into destroyer of enemies. The completion of the INS Arihant will make India one of six countries in the world with the ability to design, build, and operate its own nuclear submarines.
Design
The INS Arihant is to be the first of the expected five in the class of submarines designed and constructed as a part of the Indian NavyIndian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
's secretive Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project. The submarine is reported to be similar to the Russian Charlie-II class
Charlie class submarine
The Charlie class submarine is a nuclear powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy.-Background:...
submarine, which India leased from the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991. Arihant will be more of "a technology demonstrator", rather than a fully operational SSBN according to Admiral Verma.
The vessel will be powered by an 85 MW pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
with enriched uranium
Enriched uranium
Enriched uranium is a kind of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.284% 238U isotope, with 235U only constituting about 0.711% of its weight...
fuel. A land-based prototype of the reactor was first built at Kalpakkam and made operational in September 2006. Successful operation over a period of three years yielded the data that enabled the production version for Arihant. It was reported that a 80MW nuclear reactor was integrated into the hull of the ATV in January 2008.
The hull for the vessel was built by L&T's Hazira shipbuilding facility. Tata Power
Tata Power
Tata Power is India’s oldest and largest private sector power utility with an installed generation capacity of over 2977 MW.On the 22 March 2011 it has announced partnership with Sunengy an Australian firm, to build India's first floating solar plant....
built the control systems for the submarine. The systems for the steam turbine integrated with the reactor are supplied by Walchandnagar Industries
Walchandnagar Industries
Walchandnagar Industries Limited is a heavy engineering products and EP&C services company, based in Mumbai, India.-Products and services:...
.
Launch
INS Arihant, was introduced to the public on 26 July 2009 at a symbolic launch ceremony by Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
's wife Gursharan Kaur
Gursharan Kaur
Gursharan Kaur is the wife of the 13th and current Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. Gurusharan was born to Sardar Chattar Singh Kohli, an employee of Burmah-Shell, and Sardarni Bhagwanti Kaur in 1937 in Pakistan. Her ancestral village was Dhakkam, near Chakwal in Pakistan...
. The launch coincided with the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
. and consisted of floating the vessel by flooding the dry dock. It was reported that the Arihant was launched without key systems including its nuclear reactor, surveillance equipment, and ordinance. Per naval tradition, Gursharan Kaur cracked a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
on the hull to mark the launch of the submarine at the secret naval base 'Matsya' in Visakhapatnam. Photography was prohibited and photos showing the complete vessel are not available. In his address to the crowd, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
billed the submarine as an outcome of a public-private partnership. He also thanked Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in his address stating "I would also like to express our appreciation to our Russian friends for their consistent and invaluable cooperation, which symbolizes the close strategic partnership that we enjoy with Russia". The launch of Arihant strengthens India's endeavor to build a credible nuclear triad
Nuclear triad
A nuclear triad refers to a nuclear arsenal which consists of three components, traditionally strategic bombers, ICBMs and SLBMs. The purpose of having a three-branched nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a...
— the capability to fire nuclear weapons from air, land and sea.
On the condition of anonymity, a nuclear scientist familiar with the project echoed this report in response to the media coverage that India had successfully launched a completed nuclear submarine. It was also expected that the duplication of India's land based reactor, integration of systems, and sea trials are expected to take three to five years.
It was reported that the nuclear reactor and other systems were not included at the time of the submarine's launch. Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said in December 2009, "Work is in progress to make INS Arihant operational for sea-trials...it should be inducted in two years or so." In 2010, the submarine was reported to have begun its sea trials with the submarine to be formally inducted into the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
by 2011. Full integration of key systems and sea trials are expected to be extensive.