INS Aridhaman, India's third nuclear-powered submarine, commissioned into Indian Navy
This is the Indian Navy's nuclear-class submarine after INS Arihant and INS Arighat.
India on Friday commissioned its indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Aridhaman into service, further strengthening the naval leg of its nuclear triad. This is the Indian Navy's nuclear-class submarine after INS Arihant and INS Arighat.
The SSBN programme remains a closely guarded project. India is among a select group of countries with nuclear-powered submarines, including the US, Russia, the UK, France and China.
INS Arihant, India’s first home-built nuclear submarine, was launched in July 2009 and quietly commissioned in 2016. The navy inducted its second indigenous SSBN, INS Arighaat, in August 2024. SSBN stands for ship submersible ballistic nuclear, referring to nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines.
INS Aridaman has been commissioned after months of sea trials. It is learnt that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the commissioning ceremony at a naval base in Kerala, though there has been no official confirmation so far.
“It’s not words but power, Aridaman,” Singh said in a brief post on social media in Hindi.
While India has established air and land based nuclear capabilities, it is now focusing on strengthening its underwater nuclear deterrence.