India has formally commissioned its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridhaman, marking a significant milestone in its strategic deterrence capabilities.

The commissioning took place in Visakhapatnam under a veil of secrecy, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh offering only a cryptic message on social media to acknowledge the event. This addition strengthens India’s nuclear triad, ensuring the country can deliver nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea.

The SSBN program has long been one of India’s most closely guarded defence projects. The first vessel, INS Arihant, was launched in 2009 and commissioned in 2016, followed by INS Arighat in 2024. Aridhaman, the third in the series, is larger and more powerful than its predecessors, reflecting India’s steady progress in submarine design and nuclear deterrence.

A fourth submarine of the same class is currently undergoing sea trials and is expected to join the fleet next year, while work has already begun on a fifth, which will surpass all previous designs in size and potency.

India now joins an elite group of nations—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China—that operate nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The commissioning of Aridhaman underscores India’s determination to maintain credible second-strike capability in the face of evolving regional security challenges. It also signals the country’s growing confidence in indigenous defence production, with plans to commission its first fully indigenously designed nuclear attack submarine by 2036–2037.

The submarine program is part of a broader naval modernisation effort. India’s 30-year submarine building plan, initiated in 1999, envisioned the induction of 24 conventional submarines by 2030. However, progress has been slow, with only six inducted so far.

The next six, equipped with Air Independent Propulsion systems under Project 75 (India), are expected to be contracted within the next six months. Lessons from this project will feed into Project 76, which aims to deliver 12 fully indigenous submarines. Notably, six of these are to be converted into nuclear attack submarines, a decision taken under former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to bolster naval strength.

The SSBN program operates under the Strategic Forces Command, separate from the Navy’s conventional submarine projects. This distinction highlights the unique role of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in India’s strategic doctrine.

With Aridhaman’s commissioning, India has reinforced its deterrence posture, ensuring survivability and credibility in its nuclear arsenal. The move also reflects a long-term vision of balancing conventional and nuclear capabilities to meet both regional and global challenges.

The commissioning of INS Aridhaman is not merely a technological achievement but a strategic signal. It demonstrates India’s resolve to secure its maritime domain and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. As work continues on future SSBNs and SSNs, India’s naval nuclear capability is set to expand significantly, reshaping the balance of power in Asia and beyond.

Agencies