India on Friday inducted its third indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine, INS Aridhaman, which can fire nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles and is expected to bolster sea-based nuclear deterrence.
Earlier in the day, the navy also commissioned the advanced stealth frigate, INS Taragiri, at a separate ceremony in Visakhapatnam.
A naval official said Aridhaman’s induction would allow India to maintain “continuous at-sea deterrence”, ensuring that at least one nuclear-armed submarine was on patrol at all times amid the current geopolitical situation.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh, present at the commissioning ceremonies of both Aridhaman and Taragiri, said in a cryptic post: “It’s not just a word, it’s a symbol of power, Aridhaman.”
Sources said Aridhaman was designed to carry more long-range nuclear-tipped missiles than its predecessors, INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, commissioned in 2016 and 2024, respectively.
India’s navy, which has proven air and land-launched nuclear capabilities, has been sharpening its focus on boosting its underwater nuclear prowess.
India is among a small group of countries — which includes the US, Russia, China and France — to possess nuclear triad capability, meaning it can launch nuclear-tipped missiles from air, land and sea.
