Indian nuclear submarines
- Thread starter nitesh
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2009
- Messages
- 11,615
- Likes
- 5,775
India's nuclear submarine and the Indian Ocean
India's nuclear submarine and the Indian Ocean
By Hari Sud
Column: Abroad ViewPublished: August 14, 2009
Toronto, ON, Canada, — Many invaders have come to India in the last 2,300 years in a bid to loot, conquer and rule. Alexander III of Macedon, popularly known as Alexander the Great, was the first. The British were the last. In between, Muslims ruled India for nearly 700 years.
Each invader brought new warfare technology and strategies. Alexander had organized cavalry and pikes, while the Muslims came with archers on horseback, composite bows and gunpowder. The British had organized military divisions, diplomacy and handheld firearms. On most occasions the new type of warfare caught the Indians by surprise.
Since gaining independence on Aug. 15, 1947, Indians have desired to master the art of military technology. India’s newly commissioned nuclear submarine, launched on July 26 in the southern port of Vishakhapatnam, is an example.
The 367-foot INS Arihant, which means “destroyer of enemies,” will not be operational for another three years, but has already showcased India’s growing power. The United States built missile-launching submarines called “boomers” in the 1970s and 80s, which former U.S. President Ronald Reagan called “peacemakers” because they would balance the Soviet Union’s capability and diminish the threat of war. Similarly, India’s Arihant is expected to balance China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean.
The INS Arihant, India’s only nuclear submarine, cost a staggering US$2.9 billion to build. The cost exceeded the initial budget due to the added costs of learning its new technologies. Four more similar submarines are planned; one or two are said to be in the advanced stages of construction. But there is no hurry, as one is sufficient for now.
A British nuclear submarine sank Argentina’s battleship, the General Belgrano, and brought a quick end to the Falklands War in 1982. The war lasted 74 days, but the British prevailed because Argentina could not recover from the loss.
The Arihant is an updated model of a Russian nuclear submarine – NATO code-named Charlie II – that India leased in the 1990’s. The Russians retired the last of their Charlie II submarines in 1994, but former Russian President Boris Yeltsin shared its basic design data with India as a gesture of goodwill. However, the Russians did not pass its nuclear reactor technology to India.
The Arihant’s surface and submerged displacement ranges from 6,000 to 7,000 tons compared to the 4,000 to 5,000 tons of Charlie II. Its submerged speed is also higher at 25-35 knots compared to Charlie’s 25-30 knots. The Arihant can dive to 300 meters. Its armaments initially will be 12 Indian-built K-15 missiles with a range of 750 kilometers and six torpedo tubes. Later, the missile tubes will be fitted with nuclear-tipped missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometers.
Building the 85-megawatt pressurized water reactor that powers the Arihant posed tremendous problems. India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center contributed the core design, uranium enrichment and related functions while the Defense Research and Development Organization handled the rest of its construction. Miniaturizing the design to fit the submarine was the main problem that BARC faced. Without Russian technical help it would have taken another five years to complete. A replica of this reactor has been operating on land for the past four years.
Building the hull was not easy either. Indian scientists lacked metallurgical knowledge of suitable materials for the hull. The selected steel required precise handling, cutting and welding. At times it appeared that Indian hull builders could not accomplish this, which added to manufacturing delays and cost overruns. Three extra years were added to perfect fabrication techniques. This explains why it took 10 years from the formal design to the actual commissioning of the submarine.
Two earlier attempts in the 1970s and 80s had been abandoned. The lease of the Russian Charlie-class submarine was critical for the Indians to learn its secrets.
Nevertheless, critical processes of the Arihant’s reactor are not yet functioning. For the uranium core reaction to sustain itself usually takes two to three years. However, every step is a new learning curve for Indian scientists, and taking it slowly is not a bad approach.
The Americans and Russians took shortcuts in their hurry to build seaworthy nuclear submarines. This resulted in the Russian submarine K-19 suffering a catastrophic nuclear reactor failure on its maiden sea voyage, while the United States lost its first nuclear submarine “Thresher” on a deep-diving drill. Three other Russian nuclear submarines have sunk, compared to two U.S. ones.
In short, commissioning a nuclear-powered submarine is a challenge, especially for India, which is new to the technology. China took 30 years to come up with its comparable 094-class submarine, commissioned for sea trial in 2004. Its earlier 093 class was a dud and for display only. It can prowl the South China Sea but cannot cross into the Indian Ocean. To overcome design problems the Chinese also had to purchase technology from Russia.
By 2013 India will have two nuclear submarines, one locally built and the other leased from Russia. Along with a French Scorpene submarine and a Russian upgraded aircraft carrier, India will have a formidable force positioned at the western mouth of the Strait of Malacca, should China ever decide to act in haste. Barring a few powerful Russian-built ships, China’s fleet is poor-quality reverse-engineered copies.
China unabashedly showed off its naval might in April this year with 25 vessels, two of which were nuclear submarines. It has built a large naval base at the southern tip of Hainan Island, with the capability to hide multiple nuclear submarines. Interestingly, concurrent to their naval display, China spread false rumors that a Chinese naval ship had forced an Indian submarine to surface off Somalia’s coast during pirate patrol duty. China later denied the incident, which is an indication of how seriously they view India’s naval developments.
With aircraft carriers, Scorpene submarines, Brahmos missiles and nuclear submarines, India’s naval punch is far superior to China’s. They can easily handle the Chinese if they cross the Strait of Malacca. China’s base in Hainan Island would be 13 days away, while India’s land bases would be only a day or two away. Besides, India’s land-based planes could keep the Chinese flotilla within its gun sights at all times.
Let India not hide its long-range power ambitions. Let China know that its interest in the Indian Ocean should be minimal. Pranksters in Pakistan cannot be ignored either, lest they stage another Mumbai-type attack and then brandish their nuclear weapons to counter Indian anger.
With nuclear weapons at sea, India can easily counter Pakistan’s threats. Pakistan has so far shown little concern beyond the usual displeasure from the foreign office. Its navy chief, Admiral Bashir Noman, is reportedly hoping that Arihant will not perform.
The INS Arihant is another milestone in India’s world power equation. The U.S. reaction has been lukewarm. The Americans don’t mind this new military development, but they don’t want to encourage it. They would prefer for India to play a bigger role in world politics. But sooner or later India must reverse its 2,300-year-old history of invaders looting, conquering and ruling it.
--
(Hari Sud is a retired vice president of C-I-L Inc., a former investment strategies analyst and international relations manager. A graduate of Punjab University and the University of Missouri, he has lived in Canada for the past 34 years. ©Copyright Hari Sud.)
India's nuclear submarine and the Indian Ocean
By Hari Sud
Column: Abroad ViewPublished: August 14, 2009
Toronto, ON, Canada, — Many invaders have come to India in the last 2,300 years in a bid to loot, conquer and rule. Alexander III of Macedon, popularly known as Alexander the Great, was the first. The British were the last. In between, Muslims ruled India for nearly 700 years.
Each invader brought new warfare technology and strategies. Alexander had organized cavalry and pikes, while the Muslims came with archers on horseback, composite bows and gunpowder. The British had organized military divisions, diplomacy and handheld firearms. On most occasions the new type of warfare caught the Indians by surprise.
Since gaining independence on Aug. 15, 1947, Indians have desired to master the art of military technology. India’s newly commissioned nuclear submarine, launched on July 26 in the southern port of Vishakhapatnam, is an example.
The 367-foot INS Arihant, which means “destroyer of enemies,” will not be operational for another three years, but has already showcased India’s growing power. The United States built missile-launching submarines called “boomers” in the 1970s and 80s, which former U.S. President Ronald Reagan called “peacemakers” because they would balance the Soviet Union’s capability and diminish the threat of war. Similarly, India’s Arihant is expected to balance China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean.
The INS Arihant, India’s only nuclear submarine, cost a staggering US$2.9 billion to build. The cost exceeded the initial budget due to the added costs of learning its new technologies. Four more similar submarines are planned; one or two are said to be in the advanced stages of construction. But there is no hurry, as one is sufficient for now.
A British nuclear submarine sank Argentina’s battleship, the General Belgrano, and brought a quick end to the Falklands War in 1982. The war lasted 74 days, but the British prevailed because Argentina could not recover from the loss.
The Arihant is an updated model of a Russian nuclear submarine – NATO code-named Charlie II – that India leased in the 1990’s. The Russians retired the last of their Charlie II submarines in 1994, but former Russian President Boris Yeltsin shared its basic design data with India as a gesture of goodwill. However, the Russians did not pass its nuclear reactor technology to India.
The Arihant’s surface and submerged displacement ranges from 6,000 to 7,000 tons compared to the 4,000 to 5,000 tons of Charlie II. Its submerged speed is also higher at 25-35 knots compared to Charlie’s 25-30 knots. The Arihant can dive to 300 meters. Its armaments initially will be 12 Indian-built K-15 missiles with a range of 750 kilometers and six torpedo tubes. Later, the missile tubes will be fitted with nuclear-tipped missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometers.
Building the 85-megawatt pressurized water reactor that powers the Arihant posed tremendous problems. India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center contributed the core design, uranium enrichment and related functions while the Defense Research and Development Organization handled the rest of its construction. Miniaturizing the design to fit the submarine was the main problem that BARC faced. Without Russian technical help it would have taken another five years to complete. A replica of this reactor has been operating on land for the past four years.
Building the hull was not easy either. Indian scientists lacked metallurgical knowledge of suitable materials for the hull. The selected steel required precise handling, cutting and welding. At times it appeared that Indian hull builders could not accomplish this, which added to manufacturing delays and cost overruns. Three extra years were added to perfect fabrication techniques. This explains why it took 10 years from the formal design to the actual commissioning of the submarine.
Two earlier attempts in the 1970s and 80s had been abandoned. The lease of the Russian Charlie-class submarine was critical for the Indians to learn its secrets.
Nevertheless, critical processes of the Arihant’s reactor are not yet functioning. For the uranium core reaction to sustain itself usually takes two to three years. However, every step is a new learning curve for Indian scientists, and taking it slowly is not a bad approach.
The Americans and Russians took shortcuts in their hurry to build seaworthy nuclear submarines. This resulted in the Russian submarine K-19 suffering a catastrophic nuclear reactor failure on its maiden sea voyage, while the United States lost its first nuclear submarine “Thresher” on a deep-diving drill. Three other Russian nuclear submarines have sunk, compared to two U.S. ones.
In short, commissioning a nuclear-powered submarine is a challenge, especially for India, which is new to the technology. China took 30 years to come up with its comparable 094-class submarine, commissioned for sea trial in 2004. Its earlier 093 class was a dud and for display only. It can prowl the South China Sea but cannot cross into the Indian Ocean. To overcome design problems the Chinese also had to purchase technology from Russia.
By 2013 India will have two nuclear submarines, one locally built and the other leased from Russia. Along with a French Scorpene submarine and a Russian upgraded aircraft carrier, India will have a formidable force positioned at the western mouth of the Strait of Malacca, should China ever decide to act in haste. Barring a few powerful Russian-built ships, China’s fleet is poor-quality reverse-engineered copies.
China unabashedly showed off its naval might in April this year with 25 vessels, two of which were nuclear submarines. It has built a large naval base at the southern tip of Hainan Island, with the capability to hide multiple nuclear submarines. Interestingly, concurrent to their naval display, China spread false rumors that a Chinese naval ship had forced an Indian submarine to surface off Somalia’s coast during pirate patrol duty. China later denied the incident, which is an indication of how seriously they view India’s naval developments.
With aircraft carriers, Scorpene submarines, Brahmos missiles and nuclear submarines, India’s naval punch is far superior to China’s. They can easily handle the Chinese if they cross the Strait of Malacca. China’s base in Hainan Island would be 13 days away, while India’s land bases would be only a day or two away. Besides, India’s land-based planes could keep the Chinese flotilla within its gun sights at all times.
Let India not hide its long-range power ambitions. Let China know that its interest in the Indian Ocean should be minimal. Pranksters in Pakistan cannot be ignored either, lest they stage another Mumbai-type attack and then brandish their nuclear weapons to counter Indian anger.
With nuclear weapons at sea, India can easily counter Pakistan’s threats. Pakistan has so far shown little concern beyond the usual displeasure from the foreign office. Its navy chief, Admiral Bashir Noman, is reportedly hoping that Arihant will not perform.
The INS Arihant is another milestone in India’s world power equation. The U.S. reaction has been lukewarm. The Americans don’t mind this new military development, but they don’t want to encourage it. They would prefer for India to play a bigger role in world politics. But sooner or later India must reverse its 2,300-year-old history of invaders looting, conquering and ruling it.
--
(Hari Sud is a retired vice president of C-I-L Inc., a former investment strategies analyst and international relations manager. A graduate of Punjab University and the University of Missouri, he has lived in Canada for the past 34 years. ©Copyright Hari Sud.)
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
- Messages
- 3,474
- Likes
- 1,062
DAE generic diagram of the Arihant
16 Aug 2009 8ak: Diagram of the Arihant. (Copyright DAE via Frontline). One comments on Shiv Aroor's blog "it is indeed a generic drawing, but the DAE has unwittingly created the illustration indeed in an authentic hull shape of the ATV. this is precisely what the Arihant looks like. finally, the silly mystery is over. here she is. all those idiots who said she looks like a charlie or akula can now eat dust, positively stuff their mouths with it."
8ak - Indian Defence News: DAE generic diagram of the Arihant
8ak - Indian Defence News: DAE generic diagram of the Arihant
DAE generic diagram of the Arihant
16 Aug 2009 8ak: Diagram of the Arihant. (Copyright DAE via Frontline). One comments on Shiv Aroor's blog "it is indeed a generic drawing, but the DAE has unwittingly created the illustration indeed in an authentic hull shape of the ATV. this is precisely what the Arihant looks like. finally, the silly mystery is over. here she is. all those idiots who said she looks like a charlie or akula can now eat dust, positively stuff their mouths with it."
8ak - Indian Defence News: DAE generic diagram of the Arihant
the design looks optimized for high speed & fast dive capability.....Looks much like an SSN/SSGN instead of SSBN.....
LETHALFORCE
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
- Messages
- 29,968
- Likes
- 48,929
'Second indigenous nuke sub will be ready soon' - Yahoo! India News
'Second indigenous nuke sub will be ready soon'
Tue, Aug 18 05:01 PM
New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) India's second indigenous nuclear-powered submarine will be ready soon and will take less time from launch to induction than the first one, says a retired Indian Navy officer who was associated with the top secret project since its inception.
'The second one will be ready and will take lesser time,' Vice Admiral (retd.) Mihir K. Roy told IANS in an exclusive interview.
Roy, who is now 84, was the first head of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) that was launched in 1984 and guided it during its first four years. He has been involved in all the back room negotiations with the then Soviet Union, which assisted in the project. He is now director of think tank Society for Indian Ocean Studies.
Roy said the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 delayed the ATV project, under which India aimed to initially design and construct three nuclear-powered combat submarines within the country.
The first vessel, INS Arihant, was launched into the waters July 26. When she is inducted into service after three-years of sea trials, India will became only the sixth country in the world after the US, Russia, Britain, France and China to be capable of designing and constructing nuclear-powered nuclear submarines.
'We were going fast (on the project). But there was a long delay. Then the USSR fell and there was tremendous social, political and technological changes in the country. All contracts (on the ATV project) were changed,' Roy said.
'In 2004, Russia stabilised and we signed fresh contracts in dollars. Money was a problem for them because they (Russians) were short of dollars,' he added.
The Soviet Union had in 1981 offered to help with the design and construction of a nuclear submarine. In 1988, it had also leased a nuclear submarine, INS Chakra, for five years to enable the Indian Navy, its first batch of officers and sailors, in operating such vessels.
The ATV project was made successful by the close partnership of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and other public and private sector undertakings.
The project was conceptualised around the same time as those to produce an indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) and a main battle tank MBT). Both these projects have suffered heavy cost and time overruns, making the launch of INS Arihant a 'historic milestone' for the Indian Navy.
'I said that I wanted to report directly to the defence minister, with no interference from secretaries and bureaucrats. It worked. Decisions were made across the table,' said Roy, a submariner and former chief of the Eastern Naval Command.
He noted that extra security precautions had to be taken to maintain the secrecy of the project to prevent triggering an arms race on the subcontinent.
'We did not even have a name plate (outside the office). Nobody in my family, not even my wife, was aware what I was doing. On July 26 (when INS Arihatn was launched) my
grandchildren said: 'You never told us!' ' Roy said.
'I got the dry docks (at the Visakhapatnam Ship Building Centre) covered; otherwise satellites would have spotted the vessel and taken pictures,' Roy reminisced, adding: 'I also got the dry docks lengthened.'
'Second indigenous nuke sub will be ready soon'
Tue, Aug 18 05:01 PM
New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) India's second indigenous nuclear-powered submarine will be ready soon and will take less time from launch to induction than the first one, says a retired Indian Navy officer who was associated with the top secret project since its inception.
'The second one will be ready and will take lesser time,' Vice Admiral (retd.) Mihir K. Roy told IANS in an exclusive interview.
Roy, who is now 84, was the first head of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) that was launched in 1984 and guided it during its first four years. He has been involved in all the back room negotiations with the then Soviet Union, which assisted in the project. He is now director of think tank Society for Indian Ocean Studies.
Roy said the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 delayed the ATV project, under which India aimed to initially design and construct three nuclear-powered combat submarines within the country.
The first vessel, INS Arihant, was launched into the waters July 26. When she is inducted into service after three-years of sea trials, India will became only the sixth country in the world after the US, Russia, Britain, France and China to be capable of designing and constructing nuclear-powered nuclear submarines.
'We were going fast (on the project). But there was a long delay. Then the USSR fell and there was tremendous social, political and technological changes in the country. All contracts (on the ATV project) were changed,' Roy said.
'In 2004, Russia stabilised and we signed fresh contracts in dollars. Money was a problem for them because they (Russians) were short of dollars,' he added.
The Soviet Union had in 1981 offered to help with the design and construction of a nuclear submarine. In 1988, it had also leased a nuclear submarine, INS Chakra, for five years to enable the Indian Navy, its first batch of officers and sailors, in operating such vessels.
The ATV project was made successful by the close partnership of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and other public and private sector undertakings.
The project was conceptualised around the same time as those to produce an indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) and a main battle tank MBT). Both these projects have suffered heavy cost and time overruns, making the launch of INS Arihant a 'historic milestone' for the Indian Navy.
'I said that I wanted to report directly to the defence minister, with no interference from secretaries and bureaucrats. It worked. Decisions were made across the table,' said Roy, a submariner and former chief of the Eastern Naval Command.
He noted that extra security precautions had to be taken to maintain the secrecy of the project to prevent triggering an arms race on the subcontinent.
'We did not even have a name plate (outside the office). Nobody in my family, not even my wife, was aware what I was doing. On July 26 (when INS Arihatn was launched) my
grandchildren said: 'You never told us!' ' Roy said.
'I got the dry docks (at the Visakhapatnam Ship Building Centre) covered; otherwise satellites would have spotted the vessel and taken pictures,' Roy reminisced, adding: 'I also got the dry docks lengthened.'
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2009
- Messages
- 7,550
- Likes
- 1,309
redpearl75
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2009
- Messages
- 19
- Likes
- 0
Looks good....
Just one question.... that is, will the ATV have Agni III SLBM or the K15 Sagarica as an armament...? Is it so that it can be interchanged....?
Just one question.... that is, will the ATV have Agni III SLBM or the K15 Sagarica as an armament...? Is it so that it can be interchanged....?
12 K-15's or 4 Agni-3SL
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2009
- Messages
- 2,038
- Likes
- 302
it is 12 K 15 or 12 AGNI SLBM..not like u mentioned. Each missile tube dia is 2.4 M that can accomodate Agni III
X
xixihaha
Guest
i heard that atv has no missile and no reactor,the size of the k15 isnt fit for the boat ,and k15 only tested one time ,and we all know the boat has no reactor,is that true?
X
xixihaha
Guest
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2009
- Messages
- 2,522
- Likes
- 777
Sorry xixihaha but the level of secrecy maintained in the ATV project bars us from any valid information to share with you.
But I believe that the model in the inauguration ceremony was without any reactor due to precautionary measures.
sayareakd
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2009
- Messages
- 17,734
- Likes
- 18,953
it has reactor on board...... but it is not started as of now, only when all the criticial system are fitted into the sub, Reactor will be criticial. Missile will be put on board at last stage.
1:1 ratio model ractor is already tested for year on land.
X
xixihaha
Guest
BANGALORE - India’s nuclear submarine INS Arihant, launched on July 26, does not have a “working nuclear reactor” yet, says a nuclear scientist familiar with the project almost since its start.
“If any of you are under the impression that it made contact with water with an actual reactor fitted inside its hull you are mistaken,” the scientist told IANS.
The scientist echoes a report in Defence Professionals Daily, a German online publication, which says Arihant “currently is little more than a floating hull” without nuclear propulsion or weapons systems. The scientist, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, was clarifying media reports implying that Arihant is propelled by nuclear power and that India has become the sixth nation to operate nuclear subs.
“I think the media did not correctly report what was told to them by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), or the officials deliberately did not want to be explicit beyond a point,” he said.
The reports had said that Arihant is fitted with a nuclear power plant that is a replica of the secretly built 80-MW reactor at Kalpakkam near Chennai that was shown to the media Aug 2.
Building this land-based power plant — for demonstration and training the naval personnel — is no doubt a creditable achievement of BARC considering that “making the fuel tubes were a real challenge”, the source said.
Besides, he said, it has proved India’s ability to produce enriched uranium necessary for designing small enough reactors that can fit inside the submarine.
The higher the enrichment, the smaller the size of the reactor and, according to the source, the Indian design uses 15 to 20 percent enrichment. The commercial Tarapur nuclear power plant, on the other hand, uses about three percent enriched imported uranium.
“However, to say a duplicate of this land-based reactor is already inside Arihant and working is not correct,” he said. He pointed out that the official statement that Arihant’s reactor will take at least a year to go critical is another way of saying there is no reactor core right now inside the hull since making a reactor critical only takes days, not months.
The scientist said several steps are involved after achieving criticality and the reactor must be fully tested before it is sent to the sea. Integrating the ballistic or cruise missiles will take time and a few more years are needed to prove the platform and its systems, first in harbour, then at sea and lastly, under water, at increasing depths.
“Therefore, announcement of India’s entry into the nuclear submarine club with a half-baked product without the nuclear reactor — let alone the weapons systems — is perhaps premature,” the scientist said.
“After all the project had remained under wraps for over 20 years and another few years would not have made a difference.”
In contrast, although India was the fifth country to set up a nuclear reprocessing plant in 1964 even before Germany and China, the late Homi Bhabha, father of Indian atomic energy programme, announced the achievement only after it was commissioned and started to produce plutonium, he pointed out.
Nataraja Sarma, former BARC physicist and co-author of “Nuclear Power in India: A Critical History”, says it makes safety sense to first check out the seaworthiness of the basic submarine without the reactor core and then assemble the reactor.
“Once big components like reactor vessel, heat exchangers and the lead shielding (for protecting crew from radiation) are transferred to the submarine before closing its shell, the remaining smaller components including the fuel assembly can be introduced later to complete the construction,” he said.
Arihant is far from reaching operational status but the coconut breaking that released it from the Visakhapatnam dry dock was nevertheless an important day for India, the scientists say.
“What is significant about the launch is that now India has publicly acknowledged its quest to acquire a nuclear submarine and has shown it has the ability to design and build such a platform,” Uday Bhaskar, a former naval commander and now head of the National Maritime Foundation, is quoted as saying in the journal.
“If any of you are under the impression that it made contact with water with an actual reactor fitted inside its hull you are mistaken,” the scientist told IANS.
The scientist echoes a report in Defence Professionals Daily, a German online publication, which says Arihant “currently is little more than a floating hull” without nuclear propulsion or weapons systems. The scientist, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, was clarifying media reports implying that Arihant is propelled by nuclear power and that India has become the sixth nation to operate nuclear subs.
“I think the media did not correctly report what was told to them by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), or the officials deliberately did not want to be explicit beyond a point,” he said.
The reports had said that Arihant is fitted with a nuclear power plant that is a replica of the secretly built 80-MW reactor at Kalpakkam near Chennai that was shown to the media Aug 2.
Building this land-based power plant — for demonstration and training the naval personnel — is no doubt a creditable achievement of BARC considering that “making the fuel tubes were a real challenge”, the source said.
Besides, he said, it has proved India’s ability to produce enriched uranium necessary for designing small enough reactors that can fit inside the submarine.
The higher the enrichment, the smaller the size of the reactor and, according to the source, the Indian design uses 15 to 20 percent enrichment. The commercial Tarapur nuclear power plant, on the other hand, uses about three percent enriched imported uranium.
“However, to say a duplicate of this land-based reactor is already inside Arihant and working is not correct,” he said. He pointed out that the official statement that Arihant’s reactor will take at least a year to go critical is another way of saying there is no reactor core right now inside the hull since making a reactor critical only takes days, not months.
The scientist said several steps are involved after achieving criticality and the reactor must be fully tested before it is sent to the sea. Integrating the ballistic or cruise missiles will take time and a few more years are needed to prove the platform and its systems, first in harbour, then at sea and lastly, under water, at increasing depths.
“Therefore, announcement of India’s entry into the nuclear submarine club with a half-baked product without the nuclear reactor — let alone the weapons systems — is perhaps premature,” the scientist said.
“After all the project had remained under wraps for over 20 years and another few years would not have made a difference.”
In contrast, although India was the fifth country to set up a nuclear reprocessing plant in 1964 even before Germany and China, the late Homi Bhabha, father of Indian atomic energy programme, announced the achievement only after it was commissioned and started to produce plutonium, he pointed out.
Nataraja Sarma, former BARC physicist and co-author of “Nuclear Power in India: A Critical History”, says it makes safety sense to first check out the seaworthiness of the basic submarine without the reactor core and then assemble the reactor.
“Once big components like reactor vessel, heat exchangers and the lead shielding (for protecting crew from radiation) are transferred to the submarine before closing its shell, the remaining smaller components including the fuel assembly can be introduced later to complete the construction,” he said.
Arihant is far from reaching operational status but the coconut breaking that released it from the Visakhapatnam dry dock was nevertheless an important day for India, the scientists say.
“What is significant about the launch is that now India has publicly acknowledged its quest to acquire a nuclear submarine and has shown it has the ability to design and build such a platform,” Uday Bhaskar, a former naval commander and now head of the National Maritime Foundation, is quoted as saying in the journal.
X
xixihaha
Guest
kidding ?without reator and without weapon systerms?
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2009
- Messages
- 2,522
- Likes
- 777
Both.......
| Thread starter | Similar threads | Forum | Replies | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
British nuclear submarine crew boiled to death in indian ocean | Naval Warfare | 2 | |
|
The Great Indian Nuclear Submarine Saga | Indian Navy | 1 | |
|
Indian Navy accelerates Nuclear Submarine programme | Indian Navy | 0 | |
|
Indian Nuclear Forces of the Future...? | Strategic Forces | 21 |
