‘A symbol of strength’: India bolsters nuclear triad with submarine INS Aridaman

THe amerind naval forces on fri commissioned its newest nuclear-powered ballistic missile pigboat, INS Aridaman, into serve during a ceremony kept under wraps in Visakhapatnam as it was built under a highly classified programme to bolster the sea leg of the country’s nuclear triad—the ability to launch strategic weapons from land, air and sea, top officials aware of the matter said.It entered service on a day defence minister Rajnath Singh stressed that a powerful navy is “an absolute necessity.”Hours before the navy inducted the locally-built Aridaman, Singh made a rare acknowledgement of the steady expansion of India’s deployed nuclear forces. It is the country’s third Arihant-class submarine, and will serve as an undetectable launch platform for delivering nuclear warheads thousands of kilometres away.“Shabd nahi shakti hai, ‘Aridaman’ (Aridaman is not a word but a symbol of strength),” he wrote on X.The commissioning ceremony—the second of the day—took place in Singh’s presence, the officials said on the condition of anonymity. The defence minister earlier presided over the commissioning ceremony for the stealth frigate, INS Taragiri, which will further boost the navy’s ability to secure the country’s interests in the vast Indian Ocean Region (IOR) where China is attempting to strengthen its hold.“Building a strong and capable navy is not merely an option but an absolute necessity in today’s times,” Singh said during Taragiri’s commissioning, hailing India’s round-the-clock naval deployments in the IOR amid escalating global uncertainties.“Whenever tensions flare, the Indian Navy steps in to guarantee the security of commercial vessels and oil tankers. It is not only safeguarding India’s national interests, but is also prepared to take every necessary measure to protect our citizens and trade routes across the globe. It is this capability that firmly establishes India as a responsible and formidable maritime power.”India’s fourth SSBN codenamed S-4*, is likely to enter service in 2027, the officials said. SSBN stands for ship submersible ballistic nuclear or nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China are the only other countries that can deliver nuclear warheads from a submarine.India’s first indigenous SSBN, the 6,000-tonne INS Arihant, was commissioned around 10 years ago and it successfully completed its first deterrence patrol in 2018, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi then announcing that the submarine’s success “gives a fitting response to those who indulge in nuclear blackmail.”The fully operational submarine then completed the sea leg of India’s nuclear triad. Arihant is armed with B-05 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) capable of delivering nuclear warheads 750 km away. The navy commissioned its second indigenous SSBN, INS Arighaat, in Visakhapatnam in August 2024. Aridaman is bigger than the two SSBNs inducted earlier and can launch longer-range missiles. It is armed with K-4 SLBMs capable of striking targets up to 3,500 km away. These SSBNs will remain on continuous deterrence patrols and will be capable of launching nuclear missiles when the signal goes out from New Delhi.India already has the capability to carry out nuclear strikes with fighter planes and land-launched missiles. The Agni series of ballistic missiles and warplanes such as Rafales, Sukhoi-30s and French-origin Mirage-2000s can deliver nuclear warheads. India’s nuclear doctrine, promulgated in 2003, commits the country to a “no first use” posture, with weapons to be used only in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or Indian forces. It further states that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unimaginable damage.India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, but Beijing’s strategic arsenal is bigger than New Delhi’s, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in a yearbook released last June. It pegged the number of nuclear warheads in the Indian arsenal at 180 as of January 2025 compared to China’s 600 and Pakistan’s 170.INS Taragiri is the fourth stealth frigate commissioned into the navy under the ₹45,000-crore seven-ship Project 17A; the rest will be inducted by the year-end. Nilgiri, Udaygiri and Himgiri were commissioned last year, and Mahendragiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri will follow Taragiri into the navy this year.The P-17A platforms showcase the country’s warship-building prowess, have an indigenous content of 75% and come with modern weapons, sensors and systems to dominate the sea battlespace. P-17A is a follow-on of the Shivalik-class (P-17) stealth frigates and represents a significant upgrade over the previous warships.“INS Taragiri is capable of high-speed transit and can remain deployed at sea for extended periods. It is equipped with systems designed to monitor enemy movements, ensure its own security, and if necessary, deliver an immediate response,” Singh said.The P-17A frigates are/will be equipped with modern weapons, sensors and systems, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, the MF-STAR surveillance radar, and the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system. The warships have a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, are 149 metres long, can reach a top speed of 28 knots and carry 225 personnel. The new platforms will boost the navy’s operational capabilities and combat readiness in the IOR, a strategic maritime expanse where challenges include China’s carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.“We must not limit ourselves to safeguarding our coastlines; we must also ensure the security of critical sea lanes, choke points, and digital infrastructure that are inextricably linked to our national interests. Whenever India constructs and deploys advanced vessels such as INS Taragiri, it serves as a guarantee of peace and prosperity for the entire region,” Singh said.The frigate has entered service at a time when the global security environment is rapidly evolving, driven by shifting geopolitics, technology, and tactics, navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said. “The tensions in West Asia clearly demonstrate how these factors cumulatively impact the maritime domain. Any disruption at sea is no longer local; it immediately affects global energy security and maritime trade. Additionally, increasing incidents of interference in GPS and satellite services pose new challenges that demand continuous surveillance, sustained presence, and modern combat capabilities,” Tripathi added.