Indigenous nuke submarine to be launched for trial soon: Verma

However, the conventional submarine force levels of the Navy were on decline for which the maritime service was looking at the option of manufacturing submarines in foreign shipyards.

"Arihant is steadily progressing towards its operationalisation and we hope to commence sea trials in the coming months. Given our unequivocal no-first-use commitment-- a retaliatory strike capability that is credible and invulnerable is an imperative.

"The Indian Navy is poised to complete the triad and our maritime and nuclear doctrines will then be aligned to ensure that our nuclear insurance comes from the sea," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said at his farewell press conference.

He said commissioning of the nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra on January 23 launched India into a "select group of six nations" that operate SSNs.

The Russian-origin submarine "Chakra" has added "considerable punch to our maritime power and will aid in developing future concepts of naval operations in this very critical sphere," he said.

On the "declining" force level of Russian Kilo and German HDW diesel electric submarines, he said "it is a fact and that is why there is a proposal that we build two submarines at the collaborator's shipyard and that case is being pursued with the Defence Ministry."