India commissions second Arihant-class SSBN

This image by Janes shows the dimensions of INS Arighat, but no official images of the SSBN have been released by Indian authorities. (Janes)

The Indian Navy has commissioned its second Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). The 6,000-tonne INS
Arighat
was commissioned on August 29 at the Indian Navy’s Ship Building Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam, where it has been under construction for over a decade.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during the commissioning ceremony that
Arighat
would further strengthen India’s three-tier nuclear deterrent capability, and enhance its maritime strike capability, in addition to its existing land- and air-based capability to deliver strategic weapons.

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the capabilities of
Arighat
exceed those of the best INS in their class
Aryan
which also has a displacement of 6,000 tons, but gave no further details. No official images of the boat have been released by the Indian authorities.

“The technological progress being made locally on (
Arighat
) make it significantly more advanced than its predecessor
Aryan
“, according to the Ministry of Defense. “The presence of both INS
Aryan
and INS
Arighat
will enhance India’s ability to deter potential adversaries and protect its national interests.”

from Arighat
The commissioning comes almost seven years after the SSBN was launched in November 2017 and 15 years after it was constructed in 2009.
Arighat
has a length of 111.6 m, a width of 11 m and a draft of 9.5 m.

According to
Jannes
data about
Arighat

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