New Delhi, January 21
Weeks ahead of its slated sea trials, the Indian Navy today announced that a miniature version of the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine, Arihant, shall be showcased on Republic Day on January 26.

A model of the submarine will be placed on an open truck and will form a part of the Republic Day parade. The model will give fair idea of the strategic depth the submarine will provide to the Navy.

The submarine is set for sea trials in a couple of weeks from now. Rear Admiral LVS Babu, Assistant Chief of Navy (Submarines) confirmed: “The submarine will be heading for sea trials in the coming few weeks.” The nuclear reactor went critical on August 10 last year.

Once the sea trials are completed, the Navy is targeting a formal deployment by the end of this year. The submarine, that has nearly 60 per cent local content, will now start making shallow dives. Then it will undertake deeper dives for longer periods. From there on, the vessel will be gradually loaded with weapons and missiles and with each addition all parameters will be tested before the next load is added.

For two months or so each test will be conducted underwater. This will include the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM). New Delhi has done 10 underwater launches of the SLBM’s code named ‘B05’ using a submerged pontoon to mimic a submarine. It can travel to 700 km while the bigger variant, so far known as ‘K-4’, can hit targets 3,500 km away and will finally be installed on Arihant and also the next two follow-on submarines of the same class.

A nuclear submarine is militarily considered to be one of the most potent second-strike platforms for retaliation to a nuclear strike. India has a no-first use nuclear policy. Referring to nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra, leased from Russia, the Rear Admiral said: “It would facilitate the Indian Navy in maintaining a strong stabilising and credible presence in the Indian Ocean, Arihant would provide us with the option for sea based strategic deterrence, the third leg of the (nuclear) triad”.

During the Cold War, the US and the USSR kept their submarines on deterrence patrols, ready to fire within seconds of a nuclear strike by the adversary, to act as a strategic deterrent. Unlike conventional vessels, a nuclear-powered submarine does not need to surface for up to nearly two months.

The submarine has been developed jointly by the Indian Navy, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam and has cost Rs 15,000 crore to develop. Russian designers have assisted in building the vessel.