New Delhi, April 3 -- India on Friday inducted INS Aridhaman, an indigenously developed nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, into service, strengthening the sea-based leg of its nuclear triad, sources said. The commissioning follows months of
sea trials, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attending the ceremony at a naval base in Kerala, though there has been no official announcement so far.
India's SSBN programme remains highly classified. INS Aridhaman is the third vessel in this series, after INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. INS Arihant, the country's first indigenous nuclear submarine, was launched in July 2009 and commissioned in 2016. The second submarine, INS Arighaat, joined service in August 2024.
The SSBN designation refers to nuclear-powered submarines equipped with ballistic missiles, forming a key component of strategic deterrence. With this addition, India continues to expand its underwater nuclear capability, complementing its existing air and land-based nuclear systems.
India is among a small group of nations possessing nuclear-powered submarines, alongside the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China.
In a brief message posted in Hindi, Singh wrote, "It's not words but power, Aridhaman," hinting at the submarine's induction.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.