India set to attain N-triad capability within a month

sayareakd

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India is expected to attain effective nuclear triad capability within a month when the indigenously-developed nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is test-fired from India's indigenous nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant, top defence sources said on Tuesday.
The nuclear triad refers to the capability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea. India currently has the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land and air. The harbour acceptance trials of INS Arihant are nearing completion and sea trials will start in a month. That's when the SLBM is expected to be test-fired from the Arihant. But India is expected to officially declare it has nuclear triad capability when the INS Arihant is operationalised in the Navy in a few months.
India has so far been conducting tests of a 700-km-range SLBM from underwater pontoons and the SLBM will eventually be fitted onto the Arihant. An SLBM fitted onto the INS Arihant will give the country a "credible second-(nuclear) strike capability" from the sea. This will be critical if a surprise nuclear attack on India wipes out strategically-located land-based weapons and communication systems. India will then be able to retaliate by launching a nuclear-tipped SLBM missile from the 110-metre-long, 6,000-tonne INS Arihant, which is a ship submersible ballistic nuclear (SSBN) submarine.
In fact, the Navy's Republic Day tableau this year will showcase a model of a submarine with an SLBM. It may be recalled that in August last year the nuclear reactor on board the INS Arihant was activated and "attained criticality".
Meanwhile, the contract for the salvaging of the gutted and sunk submarine INS Sindhurakshak, which was destroyed due to multiple explosions at the Mumbai naval harbour last year, is expected to be inked soon. Once it is inked, the selected vendor is expected to take about 45 days to move the heavy equipment to the salvaging site and it is expected to take three months thereafter to salvage the submarine. So, the process could take about five months. With the delay in the induction of the six French-origin conventional Scorpene submarines currently being built at Mazgaon dockyard, the Indian Navy urgently needs more submarines. The Navy is planning to carry out upgrades on six of its existing conventional submarines. The Navy is also hopeful that the request for proposal — for acquisition of six second-line submarines with air independent propulsion (AIP) technology — will be issued soon.
AIP technology will enable submarines to stay in the depths of the ocean continuously for a longer time.

India set to attain N-triad capability within a month | The Asian Age
 

Kyubi

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Induction of K4 missile and test firing it should also be done as soon as possible..
 

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