Arihant-class submarine
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name: | Arihant |
Builders: | Navy Shipbuilding Centre, Visakhapatnam[1] |
Operators: |
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In commission: | 2016 |
Building: | 3[2] |
Active: | 1[3] |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine |
Displacement: | 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons) surfaced[4] |
Length: | 112 m (367 ft)[4] |
Beam: | 11 m (36 ft) |
Draft: | 10 m (33 ft) |
Installed power: |
|
Propulsion: | |
Speed: |
|
Range: | unlimited except by food supplies |
Test depth: | 300 m (980 ft) |
Complement: | 95 |
Sensors and processing systems: | USHUS sonar |
Armament: |
Missiles: 12 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 4 × K-4 SLBM (3500 km or 1890 mi range)[5] Torpedoes: 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est 30 charges (torpedoes, cruise missiles or mines)[6] |
The Arihant class (Sanskrit, for Killer of Enemies) is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines being built for the Indian Navy. They were developed under the US$2.9 billion Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines.
The lead vessel of the class, INS Arihant was launched in 2009 and after extensive sea trials, was confirmed to be commissioned in August 2016.[7][8][9] Arihant is the first ballistic missile submarine to have been built by a country other than one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.[10]
History
In December 1971, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the US President Richard Nixon sent a carrier battle group named Task Force 74, led by the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal in an attempt to intimidate India.[11][12] In response, the Soviet Union sent a submarine armed with nuclear missiles from Vladivostok to trail the US task force.[13] The event demonstrated the significance of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile submarines to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[14] Following the 1974 Smiling Buddha nuclear test, the Director of Marine Engineering (DME) at Naval Headquarters initiated a technical feasibility study for an indigenous nuclear propulsion system (Project 932).[15]
The Indian Navy's Advanced Technology Vessel project to design and construct a nuclear submarine took shape in the 1990s.[16] Then Defence Minister George Fernandes confirmed the project in 1998.[17] The initial intent of the project was to design nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, though following nuclear tests conducted by India in 1998 at Pokhran Test Range and the Indian pledge of no first use, the project was re-aligned towards the design of a ballistic missile submarine in order to complete India's nuclear triad.[18][19][20]
Description
The Arihant-class submarines are nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project.[21][22][23][24][25][26] They will be the first nuclear submarines designed and built by India.[27] The submarines are 112 m (367 ft) long with a beam of 11 m (36 ft), a draught of 10 m (33 ft), displacement of 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons) and a diving depth of 300 m (980 ft). The complement is about 95, including officers and sailors.[28] The boats are powered by a single seven blade propeller powered by an 83 MW (111,000 hp) pressurised water reactor and can achieve a maximum speed of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) when surfaced and 24 knots (44 km/h) when submerged.[28]
The submarines have four launch tubes in their hump and can carry up to 12 K-15 Sagarika missiles with one warhead each (with a range of 750 km or 470 mi) or 4 K-4 missiles (with a range of 3,500 km or 2,200 mi).[29][30] The submarines are similar to the Akula-class submarine of Russia.[28] The Indian Navy will train on INS Chakra, an Akula-class submarine leased from Russia in 2012.[31][32]
Development
The submarines are powered by a pressurised water reactor with highly enriched uranium fuel.[33][34] The miniaturized version of the reactor was designed and built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam.[35] It included a 42-metre (138 ft) section of the submarine's pressure hull containing the shielding tank with water and the reactor, a control room, as well as an auxiliary control room for monitoring safety parameters.[36] The prototype reactor became critical on 11 November 2003 and was declared operational on 22 September 2006.[14] Successful operation of the prototype for three years enabled the production version of the reactor for Arihant.[37][38] The reactor subsystems were tested at the Machinery Test Center in Visakhapatnam.[39] Facilities for loading and replacing the fuel cores of the naval reactors in berthed submarines were also established.[14]
The detailed engineering of the design was implemented at Larsen & Toubro's submarine design center at their Hazira shipbuilding facility.[40] Tata Power SED built the control systems for the submarine.[41] The steam turbines and associated systems integrated with the reactor were supplied by Walchandnagar Industries.[42] The lead vessel underwent a long and extensive process of testing after its launch in July 2009.[43] The propulsion and power systems were tested with high-pressure steam trials followed by harbor-acceptance trials that included submersion tests by flooding its ballast tanks and controlled dives to limited depths.[44] INS Arihant's reactor went critical for the first time on 10 August 2013.[45] On 13 December 2014, the submarine set off for its extensive sea trials.[46][47]
Ships in class
![](../I/m/Arihant_1.jpg)
Exact number of planned submarines remains unclear, according to media reports about three to six submarines are planned to be built.[48][49][50][51][52][53][54] The first boat of the class, INS Arihant was commissioned in August 2016.[7][55] The first four vessels are expected to be commissioned by 2023.[5] In December 2014, the work on a second nuclear reactor began and the second boat, INS Aridhaman is being prepared for sea trials.[56] The next three ships in the class, after the lead ship, will be larger and have 8 missile launch tubes to carry up to 8 K4 and a more powerful pressurized water reactor than INS Arihant. A larger follow on class to the arihant class is also planned, these new boats will be capable of carrying 12 to 16 ballistic missiles.[57][58] The first submarine was commissioned into the Indian Navy in August 2016. [59]
Name | Pennant | Launch | Sea Trials | Commission | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
INS Arihant | S 73 / S2[58][60] | 26 July 2009 | 13 December 2014 [61] | August 2016 | In service[8] |
INS Aridhaman | S 74 / S3[58] | tbd | tbd | tbd | under construction[5][62] |
tbd | under construction[63] | ||||
tbd | under construction |
Timeline
Date | Event |
19 May 1998 | Confirmation of ATV project by the then Defence Minister George Fernandes |
11 November 2003 | Prototype nuclear reactor becomes critical |
22 September 2006 | Nuclear reactor is declared operational |
26 July 2009 | Lead vessel of the class, INS Arihant is formally launched |
10 August 2013 | Arihant's on-board nuclear reactor attains criticality |
13 December 2014 | INS Arihant begins extensive sea & weapons trials |
25 November 2015 | INS Arihant successfully test-fired dummy B5 missile |
31 March 2016 | INS Arihant successfully test-fired K4 missile |
August 2016 | INS Arihant commissioned.[7] |
2018 | INS Aridhaman to be delivered.[7] |
See also
References
- ↑ "Contract worker killed in accident at navy ship building centre". The Hindu. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Why India needs submarines". The Diplomat. May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
- ↑ "Now, India has a nuclear triad". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- 1 2 "India reaches milestone with launch of n-powered submarine". DNA. 26 July 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "India to achieve N-arm triad in February". Times of India. 2 January 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Pike, John (27 July 2009). "Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "India set to complete N-triad with Arihant commissioning - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
- 1 2 Ashish Singh (17 October 2016). "What is INS Arihant?". NewsX. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ "India's first nuclear submarine INS Arihant ready or operations, passes deep sea tests". The Economic Times. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ↑ Marcus, Jonathan (10 August 2013). "Indian-built Arihant nuclear submarine activated". BBC. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ↑ "1971 War: How Russia sank Nixon's gunboat diplomacy". in.rbth.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ↑ "US Fleet in Bay of Bengal: A game of deception". The Daily Star. 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ↑ Krishnan Simha, Rakesh (20 December 2011). "US-Soviet Actions in 1971 Indo-Pakistani War". indrus.in. Indrus.in. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Arihant: the annihilator". Indian Defence Review. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ↑ Das, Premvir (30 July 2009). "Project 932". Business Standard. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- ↑ "India's SNS Project Report". Fas.org. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- ↑ "George defends position on China". Indian Express. 19 May 1998. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
- ↑ Pike, John. "Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "First indigenous nuclear sub is inducted into the navy". DNA. 26 July 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "India's nuclear sub still a distant dream". Rediff. 16 February 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "Indian indigenous nuclear sub to be unveiled on 26 July: report". domain-b.com. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "India nuclear sub project near completion". Reuters. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "PM to launch indigenous nuke submarine by month-end". MSN. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ↑ "Indigenous nuclear submarine goes on trial". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ↑ Sud, Hari (14 August 2009). "India's nuclear submarine and the Indian Ocean". upiasia.com. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "India's nuclear submarine dream, still miles to go". Reuters. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "Final test of K-15 ballistic missile on Tuesday". 25 February 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- ↑ "The secret undersea weapon". India Today. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ↑ "The secret 'K' missile family". India Today. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ↑ "Arihant – Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". Global Security. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ↑ "Leased Russian n-submarine to set sail for India this month end". 15 December 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ↑ Pandit, Rajat (17 July 2009). "India set to launch nuclear-powered submarine". Times Of India. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "High fissile fuel in nuclear submarine lasts long". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "INS Arihant is an Indian design: Anil Kakodkar". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Shekhar, G.C. (3 August 2009). "Unveiled: Arihant's elder brother". Telegraph India. Calcutta, India. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Subramanian, T.S. (2 August 2009). "PWR building shows indigenous capability". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 8 August 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Venkatesh, M.R. (2 August 2009). "Arihant propulsion reactor unveiled". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Naval Research Board". DRDO. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Larsen and Toubro's Contribution to Arihant-class submarine" (PDF) (Press release). 26 July 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "India's first Indigenous nuclear submarine". Jeywin. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- ↑ "Private sector played a major role in Arihant". DNA. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Nuclear submarine Arihant to be fitted with K-15 ballistic missiles". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Home-made nuke sub INS Arihant to be inducted in 2 years". Times of India. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "K-15 all set to join Arihant". The Hindu. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "India's nuclear submarine Arihant flagged off for sea trials". The Economic Times. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ↑ "INS Arihant sails out of harbour". The Hindu. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ↑ "Sea trials of Indian Navy's deadliest sub going 'Very Well'". The Diplomat. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ Brewster, David. "Asia's coming nuclear nightmare". CFTNI. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Was 2015 a good year for India's defence sector?". Business Standard. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "After Arihant, Indian Navy considering n-propulsion for Aircraft Carriers". indiastrategic.in. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "SSBN Arihant Class Submarine". naval-technology.com. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "N-capable Arihant submarine successfully test-fires unarmed missile". Big News. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Indian Navy soon to be the most formidable submarine force On The Planet". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Satisfied with nuclear sub Arihant trials: Navy Chief". Tribune India. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Work on second nuclear sub reactor begins". 2 December 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "EXPRESS EXCLUSIVE: Maiden Test of Undersea K-4 Missile From Arihant Submarine". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- 1 2 3 Diplomat, Saurav Jha, The. "India's Undersea Deterrent". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- ↑ "What is INS Arihant". NewsX. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ↑ "INS Arihant may be of limited utility". The Hindu. 2014-12-20. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- ↑ "INS Arihant sails out of harbor". The Hindu. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ↑ "Second nuclear submarine under construction". IBN (in Hindi). 23 May 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Maiden Test of Undersea K-4 Missile From Arihant Submarine". The New Indian Express. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
External links
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