N-capable Arihant submarine successfully test-fires unarmed missile

New Delhi Indiarsquos first indigenouslydeveloped nuclearpowered nuclear attack submarine Arihant has successfully test fired a dummy or unarmed missile reliable sources saidThe vital first test in ejecting a missile from its onboard silos was conducted on Wednesday proverbially adding a feather to the cap of the Indian Navy and scientists from DRDO and BARC the sources said The firing was done remotely from a far away location by the Strategic Forces Command SFC Indiarsquos nuclear command authority which is tasked with creating nuclear deterrenceTo mention more achievements the submarine has also successfully completed its critical diving tests and significantly met nearly all its design and designated parameters just about 100 percent including the maximum possible power option testsIt is actually good news all over but the final step before the submarine is formally inducted in the Indian Navy as INS Arihant will be the firing of proper missiles albeit with unarmed warheads Details are unavailable but this should happen soon enough as there are indications of the submarine taking part in the International Fleet Review IFR being hosted by the navy in February 2016The boat should be operational by thenNotably only operational ships and submarines can take part in an IFRThe missile fired was a dummy version of DRDOrsquos B 5 which approximately has a range of 800 km to 1000 km Later missiles with a reach of 3500 km to 4000 km are likely to be inducted onboardIndia plans to build some halfadozen Arihant class submaries in line with its nuclear doctrine which calls for No First Use but Massive Retaliation if attackedArihant is built with Russian designs but this will be the countryrsquos first nuclear attack submarine classified in international naval lingo as SSBNIndia has one more nuclearpowered submarine INS Chakra leased from Russia but that cannot fire nuclear missiles The classification for such boats is SSNLike any submarine both Arihant and INS Chakra are pearl shaped to accommodate the vertically launched missiles and designed to move faster underwater than on the surface They can stay deep in the darkness of the oceans for months the only restrictions being the limits on human tolerance and availability of nuclear fuelIt may be recalled that the project for nuclear submarines was sanctioned soon after the 1974 nuclear test by prime minister Indira Gandhi but it suffered when Morarji Desai and VP Singh occupied the office in the coming yearsIn 1983 Gandhi once again pushed the project with required funds but it was only in 1998 when India conducted the second round of nuclear tests that prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sanctioned the project afresh and a decision was also taken to involve the private sector Larsen amp Toubro Indiarsquos premier engineering construction company was involved right from then onwardsLampT as it is known has done commendable work in gradually and systematically building a horizontal supplychain base and meeting the DRDO and naval specifications DRDO or Defence Research and Development Organisation has been incharge of the Indiarsquos missile systems programmes throughout which it has delivered with distinctionNuclear propulsion systems have been installed and managed by experts from BARC or Bhabha Atomic Research CentreIndications of Arihantrsquos journey have been coming out for some time and recently the Indian Navy chief Admiral Robin Dhowan mentioned the possibility of its inclusion in the IFR although he did not understandably commit anythingThe tests are done onebyone and for a nuclear boat every single check is critical