Indian nuclear submarines

sandeepdg

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These numbers are wrong or perhaps we aren't good enough yet, but I would say the numbers are misleading. The American warheads on Minuteman and Trident are less than 350Kgs(MIRV) and carry 475kT of explosive power each. A 450Kg payload on Shaurya should give us between 500kT and 700kT, but size matters as well and more importantly our capability to create such warheads and even more importantly the need for creating such big warheads.
These numbers are not wrong. Its just we haven't reached that level of refinement as the Americans. Hence even though our nukes are of smaller yield, yet they have a bigger mass as compared to the American warheads. Eventually we will get around this, once we start experimenting with MIRV warheads hopefully.

You can not compare American nuke technology to ours. We are way behind.
 

Yusuf

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W88 warhead that sits on the trident is about 400kgs with a 475kt yield.

The W56 weighed less than that and has a yield of 1 MT.

India does not have the same level of sophistication in miniaturizing warheads but I am sure it's not as bad as a 17kt yield for 500kgs.
 

Param

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Did'nt some minister a few months ago say that our strategic payload weighs 250 kgs? I guess the yield must be around 200ktns
 

Yusuf

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Did'nt some minister a few months ago say that our strategic payload weighs 250 kgs? I guess the yield must be around 200ktns
You can have various designs which weigh differently with various yields. In fact the US has variable yield warhead where the yield of the warhead can be adjusted just when it is armed.
 

Yusuf

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What 17kt warhead ?? Read the data posted in the third link carefully before posting your crap !

Mk-4: For light weight 17Kt Fusion Boosted
Fission (FBF) warhead
Mass: ~180 Kg



Mk-5: For 50Kt FBF or 200Kt Thermo Nuclear
(TN) warhead
Mass: ~340 Kg


Mk-6: For 150Kt FBF warhead
Mass: ~550 Kg.


17 kt warhead has weight of 340 kgs. A 150 kt warhead will have a weight of 550 kgs. So when the payload is 500 kg+ it means it is carrying a 150 kt Fusion boosted Fission warhead !
Fusion boosted Fission bomb or Fission boosted Fusion bomb? The latter is a true two stage thermonuclear bomb. The former is a fission bomb.

India had tested a fission boosted fusion device in Shakti 1 with a yield of 45kt.
 

sandeepdg

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Fusion boosted Fission bomb or Fission boosted Fusion bomb? The latter is a true two stage thermonuclear bomb. The former is a fission bomb.

India had tested a fission boosted fusion device in Shakti 1 with a yield of 45kt.
I have mentioned as per the link, obviously the 200 kt TN weapon is a Fission boosted Fusion bomb, and the others are Fusion boosted Fission bomb.
India does not have the same level of sophistication in miniaturizing warheads but I am sure it's not as bad as a 17kt yield for 500kgs.
Of course we don't. That's what I am also telling. But it surely ain't that bad either, a 500 kg payload will hold a 150 kt weapon or around roughly a 300 kt TN weapon.
 

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JAISWAL

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Sea trials soon of India's indigenous n-submarine

NEW DELHLI: The sea trials of India's indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant are scheduled in a few months from now and it is likely to be inducted into the navy by the end of 2012, when it will lurk in the deep seas awaiting its prey.

Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said at the force's annual press conference Friday ahead of Navy Day on Dec 4 that the process of readying the nuclear-powered submarine was "on track".

"By and large we are on track. A firm date can be given when we go for sea trials that will hopefully happen in a few months from now," Verma said when he was asked about his last Navy Day promise that INS Arihant will go out on high seas patrols by 2012-end.


India had launched the 6,000-tonne submarine into the waters at Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard on July 26 in 2009. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur were present on the occassion.

INS Arihant has been built under the navy's advanced technology vessel (ATV) programme at a cost of $2.9 billion. The vessel is critical for India possessing the capability to launch nuclear weapons from an underwater platform.

With India's declared "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, the country's weapons system must survive a first strike for retaliation. To that effect, INS Arihant's primary weapon is stealth as it will be able to lurk in ocean depths of half a kilometre or more and fire missiles from under the sea.

The submarine is powered by an 85 MW nuclear reactor and can acquire surface speeds of 22 to 28 kmph or 12 to 15 knots, apart from a submerged speed of 44 kmph or 24 knots.

With a crew of 95, it will be armed with torpedoes and missiles including 12 ballistic missiles. Four more nuclear-powered submarines of this class have already got government's nod, adding to navy's underwater combat potential in the years to come.

On the safety of the nuclear submarine, the navy chief said there was a requirement of a regulatory authority and Baba Atomic Research Centre will play a major role in this.

He said the issue was not about nuclear safety while the vessel is at port but while it is at sea and hence the modalities for that and basing of specialist on board the vessel are under consideration.

Sea trials soon of India's indigenous n-submarine - The Economic Times
 

sayareakd

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Four more nuclear-powered submarines of this class have already got government's nod, adding to navy's underwater combat potential in the years to come.
number is good, but what is more important is what type of nuke sub we are looking at, I will be happy if last two are boomer class of subs, with 12 A3 (SLBM)/A6. Present one can carry only 4 A3 (SLbM) or 12 K15. If these go on petrol and one or two missile would be used for training, thus missiles with live nukes would be 3 or less in case of A3 and 11 in case of K15 or combination of both.

Bommer class type sub with 12 A3 or combination of k15 would be good deterrent at sea at any given time. But we need at least two bommmer class on petrol all the time.
 

agentperry

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i had posted many weeks back that arihant nuke reactor is going critical coming feb 2012. no takers at that time. wateva- yippie
 

ant80

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I have come to understand, from movies, social media etc, that there are two types of nuclear subs. One with balistic missiles (SSBN) and ones without ballistic missiles (SSN) that are simply hunter killers of other subs. Is this true? I assume the Arihant is simply a SSBN. If so, will there be hunter killer subs to target enemy SSBN's and SSN's?

I know I'll probably be hammered for the media through I am asking the question, but I am new here and want to learn. Thanks.
 

bhramos

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I have come to understand, from movies, social media etc, that there are two types of nuclear subs. One with balistic missiles (SSBN) and ones without ballistic missiles (SSN) that are simply hunter killers of other subs. Is this true? I assume the Arihant is simply a SSBN. If so, will there be hunter killer subs to target enemy SSBN's and SSN's?

I know I'll probably be hammered for the media through I am asking the question, but I am new here and want to learn. Thanks.
you forgot one more class SSGN, its between SSBN and SSN, may be Arihant would come in this class..
Cruise missile submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

noob101

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you forgot one more class SSGN, its between SSBN and SSN, may be Arihant would come in this class..
Cruise missile submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
how much of a difference is there between a SSN and a SSGN/SSBN capability wise? If a need arises can we send INS Arihant into the straits of Malacca to hunt Chinese ships in time of war

BTW does anyone have any info about the 2nd Akula SSN that we still have an option to lease? is the IN going to exercise the option if it already did then has construction started?
 

sayareakd

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our ATV is all purpose sub, it can carry ballistic missiles, cruise missile and even hunt down SSBN due to its small size. ,
 

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