Indian Navy tests 3,500-km K-4 nuclear missile from INS Arighaat submarine

Indian Navy's second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arighaat, is capable of carrying up to four nuclear-capable 3,500-kilometre-range K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles

India on Wednesday carried out the test firing of the nuclear-capable 3,500-kilometre-range K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the Indian Navy's newly inducted nuclear submarine, INS Arighaat, news agency ANI revealed on Thursday, citing unnamed defence sector sources. In a post on social media platform X, the news agency said that the test results were "being analysed" at the time of reporting.

 

The Indian Navy on Wednesday "carried out the test firing of the 3,500-km K-4 ballistic missile from the newly inducted nuclear submarine INS Arighaat. The test results are being analysed. The boat is operated by the Strategic Forces Command," ANI's social media post said.

 

 

"The test of the ballistic missile was done for the full range. The details are being analysed, and the top military and political brass would be briefed by officials concerned on the exact details after complete analysis," said another ANI social media post, citing defence sources. 

"The test of the ballistic missile was done for the full range. The details are being analysed and the top military and political brass would be briefed by officials concerned on the exact details after complete analysis," say Defence sources on nuclear-capable ballistic missile…

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2024

 

In a significant milestone for strengthening India's nuclear deterrence, the navy's second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arighaat, was inducted in August during a commissioning ceremony in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 

 

The INS Arighaat, the second submarine in the Arihant-Class, marks a major advancement in India's classified nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine programme. The country’s first indigenously developed nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, was launched in July 2009 and commissioned in 2016. By 2018, the INS Arihant was reportedly fully operational.

 

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the INS Arighaat is "significantly more advanced" than the INS Arihant, incorporating cutting-edge indigenous technological enhancements. 

 

Both the INS Arihant and INS Arighaat are powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water nuclear reactors, allowing them to remain submerged for extended durations — an advantage over conventional diesel-electric submarines, which must surface frequently to recharge their batteries.

 

Like its predecessor, the INS Arighaat is equipped with four launch tubes on its hump, capable of carrying up to 12 K-15 Sagarika SLBMs with a range of 750 km or four K-4 SLBMs with a range of 3,500 km.

 

In October 2022, the INS Arihant demonstrated its capabilities by successfully launching an SLBM in the Bay of Bengal with "very high accuracy," according to the MoD.

 

The INS Arighaat will complement the INS Arihant in bolstering India's nuclear triad, which ensures the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea. With India's "no-first use" nuclear policy, ballistic missile submarines play a critical role in deterrence, offering the capability to survive a surprise attack and deliver effective retaliatory strikes.