Arihant-class submarine

INS Arihant during sea trials in 2014
Class overview
Name: Arihant
Builders: Navy Shipbuilding Centre, Visakhapatnam[1]
Operators:  Indian Navy
In commission: 2016
Completed: 1 (sea trials)
General characteristics
Type: Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine
Displacement: 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons)[2] surfaced
Length: 112 m (367 ft)[2]
Beam: 11 m (36 ft)
Draft: 10 m (33 ft)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • Surfaced: 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h)
  • Submerged: 24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: unlimited except by food supplies
Test depth: 300 m (980 ft)
Complement: 95
Sensors and
processing systems:		 USHUS sonar
Armament:

Missiles: 12 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 4 × K-4[3][4] SLBM (Under development) (3500 km or 1890 mi range)

Torpedoes: 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est 30 charges (torpedoes, cruise missiles or mines)[5]

The Arihant class (Sanskrit, for Killer of Enemies) is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines being built for the Indian Navy. The lead vessel of the class, INS Arihant, was first launched in 2009 and began sea trials in December 2014.

They were developed under the US$2.9 billion Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines. INS Arihant is the first ballistic missile submarine to have been built by a country other than one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.[6]

Description

The Arihant-class submarines are nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines. They are being built under the US$2.9 billion Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines.[7][8][9][10][11][12] They will be the first nuclear submarines designed and built by India.[13]

The Arihant-class submarines will have a length of 112 m (367 ft) overall, a beam of 15 m (49 ft) and a Draught of 10 m (33 ft). They displace 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons) and have a diving depth of 300 m (980 ft). The complement is about 95, including officers and sailors.[14]

The boats will have one seven blade propeller powered by an 83 MW (111,000 hp) pressurised water reactor. They can achieve a maximum speed of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) when surfaced and 24 knots (44 km/h) when submerged.[14]

The submarines have four launch tubes in their hump. They can carry up to 12 K-15 Sagarika missiles with one warhead each (with a range of 750 km or 470 mi),[15] or 4 of the K-4 missiles (with a range of 3,500 km or 2,200 mi).[16]

The Arihant-class submarines are reported to be similar to the Akula-class submarine of Russia.[14] The Indian Navy will have the opportunity to train on INS Chakra, an Akula-class submarine, which the Indian Navy leased from Russia in 2012.[17][18]

The lead boat of the class, INS Arihant is fitted with a combination of two sonar systems – USHUS and Panchendriya. USHUS is a state-of-the-art sonar meant for Kilo-class submarines. Panchendriya is a unified submarine sonar and tactical control system, which includes all types of sonar (passive, surveillance, ranging, intercept and active). It also features an underwater communications system. The hull features twin flank-array sonars and Rafael broadband expendable anti-torpedo countermeasures. The UPA government's report card carried an image of the lead vessel, which provided the first public glimpse of the completed submarine.[19]

History

India continued to harbour deep ambivalence about nuclear weapons and did not accord a priority to their production until the 1970s. In December 1971, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the US President Richard Nixon sent a carrier battle group named Task Force 74, led by the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise, into the Bay of Bengal in an attempt to intimidate India. In response, the Soviet Union sent a submarine armed with nuclear missiles from Vladivostok to trail the US task force.[20] The salutary effect of the Soviet response demonstrated the deterrent significance of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile submarines to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[21] Following the 1974 Smiling Buddha nuclear test, the Director of Marine Engineering (DME) at Naval Headquarters (NHQ) initiated a technical feasibility study for an indigenous nuclear propulsion system (Project 932).[22]

The Indian Navy's Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project to design and construct a nuclear submarine took shape in the 1990s.[23] First confirmation of the project came in 1998 from then Defence Minister, George Fernandes.[24] The initial intent of the project was to design nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, though following nuclear tests conducted by India in 1998 at Pokhran Test Range and the Indian pledge of no first use, the project was re-aligned towards the design of a ballistic missile submarine[25] in order to complete India's nuclear triad.[26]

The ATV project overcame many challenges, the primary one being the design and miniaturisation of the nuclear reactor.[27] The lead vessel was first floated from its dry dock at a symbolic launch ceremony on 26 July 2009.[28]

Development

The Arihant-class submarines are powered by an 83 MW pressurised water reactor (PWR) with highly enriched uranium fuel.[29][30] The miniaturised naval version of the reactor was designed and built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam.[31] A land-based prototype of the marine PWR was first built at Kalpakkam. It included a 42-metre section of the submarine's pressure hull containing the shielding tank with water and the reactor, a control room, as well as an auxiliary control room for monitoring safety parameters.[32] The prototype reactor became critical on 11 November 2003 and was declared operational on 22 September 2006.[21] Successful operation of the prototype for three years yielded the data and the confidence that enabled the production version of the reactor for Arihant.[33][34] The reactor consists of 13 fuel assemblies each having 348 fuel pins. Several companies supplied components of the reactor. High grade steel supplied by Heavy Engineering Corporation, Ranchi was used to build the reactor vessel. The steam generator was provided by BHEL; and Audco India, Chennai built the pressure valves.[35]

Hindustan Shipyard at Visakhapatnam

Separately, infrastructure for testing the reactor subsystems was set up at the Machinery Test Centre in Visakhapatnam.[36] Facilities for loading and replacing the fuel cores of the naval reactors in berthed submarines were also established at the Ship Building Centre.[21]

Once the design was finalised, detailed engineering was implemented at Larsen and Toubro's submarine design centre at their Hazira shipbuilding facility using 3D modelling and product data management software.[37] Tata Power SED built the control systems for the submarine.[38] The steam turbines and associated systems integrated with the PWR were supplied by Walchandnagar Industries.[39]

The lead vessel underwent a long and extensive process of testing after its "launch" in July 2009.[40] Every sub-system of the propulsion and power systems on board the submarine was repeatedly tested with high-pressure steam trials of all pipelines. This was followed by harbour-acceptance trials that included submersion tests by flooding its ballast tanks and controlled dives to limited depths. Data gathered from her acceptance trials is expected to aid the development of nuclear submarines to follow.[41] INS Arihant's reactor went critical for the first time on 10 August 2013.[42] After completing its harbour acceptance trials, on the misty morning of 13 December 2014, the indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine emerged partially submerged from the breakwaters of the Visakhapatnam harbour and sailed north along the Bay of Bengal coast off for its extensive sea trails.[43][44]

Ships in class

Conceptual drawing of INS Arihant

Exact number of planned submarines remains unclear, some media outlets reported 3 others 4, some others 5 or 6.[45][46][47][48][49][50][51] The first boat of the class, INS Arihant, is expected to be commissioned by early 2016.[52] The second boat, INS Aridhaman, is being prepared for sea trials. INS Arihant is to be commissioned in December 2015, INS Aridhaman is being readied for launch and two more submarines are under construction (dubbed S-4 and S-5[53]), as of December 2015. All the four vessels are all expected to be in commission by 2023.[3] In December 2014 it was reported that work on a second nuclear reactor had begun.[54]

Name Pennant Builder Launch Sea Trials Commissioning Status Home port
INS Arihant S 73 Shipbuilding Centre Visakhapatnam 26 July 2009 13 December 2014[55] Early 2016[56] Under sea-trials[55] Visakhapatnam
INS Aridhaman S 74 Shipbuilding Centre Visakhapatnam Second Qut.-2016 Mid 2017 End 2018 Being readied for launch[3][57] Visakhapatnam
S4 Shipbuilding Centre Vadodara Hull Fabrication Completed[58]

Timeline

Date Event
3–16 December 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 takes place
18 May 1974 India conducts the Smiling Buddha nuclear tests
11 May 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests take place
19 May 1998 First confirmation of the ATV project by the then Defence Minister George Fernandes
11 November 2003 Prototype nuclear reactor becomes critical
22 September 2006 The nuclear reactor is declared operational
26 July 2009 The lead vessel of the class, INS Arihant is formally launched
10 August 2013 Arihant's on-board nuclear reactor attains criticality.
13 December 2014 INS Arihant begins extensive sea & weapons trials
25 November 2015 INS Arihant successfully test-fired dummy B5 missile.
4 February 2016 INS Arihant is expected to be operational[59][60]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/contract-worker-killed-in-accident-at-navy-ship-building-centre/article5764589.ece
  2. 1 2 "India reaches milestone with launch of n-powered submarine". Dnaindia.com. 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "India to achieve N-arm triad in February". The Times of India. 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  4. ↑ "Livefist – Indian Defence & Aerospace: MAG REPORT: India's Secret K-Missile Family". Livefist.blogspot.com. 2010-11-21. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  5. ↑ Pike, John (2009-07-27). "Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  6. ↑ Jonathan Marcus (10 August 2013). "Indian-built Arihant nuclear submarine activated". BBC News, UK. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Indian indigenous nuclear sub to be unveiled on 26 July: report". domain-b.com. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  8. ↑ "India nuclear sub project near completion". In.reuters.com. 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  9. ↑ "PM to launch indigenous nuke submarine by month-end". MSN. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  10. ↑ "Indigenous nuclear submarine goes on trial". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2009-07-19. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  11. ↑ Sud, Hari (2009-08-14). "India's nuclear submarine and the Indian Ocean". upiasia.com. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  12. ↑ "India's nuclear submarine dream, still miles to go". Reuters. 2009-07-31.
  13. ↑ "Final test of K-15 ballistic missile on Tuesday". 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  14. 1 2 3 "SSBN Arihant Class Submarine, India". naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  15. ↑ "The secret undersea weapon". India Today. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  16. ↑ "The secret 'K' missile family". India Today. 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  17. ↑ "Arihant – Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". Global Security. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  18. ↑ "Leased Russian n-submarine to set sail for India this month end". 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  19. ↑ "INS Arihant image". Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  20. ↑ Rakesh Krishnan Simha (2011-12-20). "US-Soviet Actions in 1971 Indo-Pakistani War". Indrus.in. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  21. 1 2 3 "Arihant: the annihilator". Indian Defence Review. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  22. ↑ Das, Premvir (2009-07-30). "Project 932". Business-standard.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  23. ↑ "India's SNS Project Report". Fas.org. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  24. ↑ "George defends position on China". Indianexpress.com. 1998-05-19. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  25. ↑ Pike, John. "Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  26. ↑ "First indigenous nuclear sub is inducted into the navy". Dnaindia.com. 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  27. ↑ "India's nuclear sub still a distant dream". Rediff.com. 2001-02-16. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  28. ↑ "defence.professionals". defpro.com. 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  29. ↑ Pandit, Rajat (2009-07-17). "India set to launch nuclear-powered submarine". The Times Of India.
  30. ↑ "High fissile fuel in nuclear submarine lasts long". Chennai, India: Hindu.com. 2009-11-05. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  31. ↑ "INS Arihant is an Indian design: Anil Kakodkar". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  32. ↑ Shekhar, G.C. (2009-08-03). "Unveiled: Arihant’s elder brother". Calcutta, India: Telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  33. ↑ "PWR building shows indigenous capability, says Kakodkar". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-08-02. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  34. ↑ "Arihant propulsion reactor unveiled". Hindustan Times. 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-08-02. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  35. ↑ Arihant Class Submarine – Naval Technology
  36. ↑ "Naval Research Board". Nrbdrdo.res.in. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  37. ↑ "Larsen and Toubro's Contribution to Arihant-class submarine-Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  38. ↑ "India's first Indigenous nuclear submarine". Jeywin. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  39. ↑ "Private sector played a major role in Arihant". Dnaindia.com. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  40. ↑ "Nuclear submarine Arihant to be fitted with K-15 ballistic missiles". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2009-07-27.
  41. ↑ "Home-made nuke sub INS Arihant to be inducted in 2 years". The Times of India. 2009-12-03. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  42. ↑ "K-15 all set to join Arihant". The Hindu. 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  43. ↑ "India's nuclear submarine Arihant flagged off for sea trials". Economic Times. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  44. ↑ "INS Arihant sails out of harbour". The Hindu. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  45. ↑ "Sea Trials of Indian Navy's Deadliest Sub Going 'Very Well'". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  46. ↑ Brewster, David. "Asia's Coming Nuclear Nightmare". The National Interest. http://www.cftni.org/. Retrieved 2015-12-31. External link in |publisher= (help)
  47. ↑ "Was 2015 a good year for India's defence sector?". Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  48. ↑ "..:: India Strategic ::. Navy: After Arihant, Indian Navy considering n-propulsion for Aircraft Carriers". www.indiastrategic.in. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  49. ↑ "SSBN Arihant Class Submarine". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  50. ↑ "N-capable Arihant submarine successfully test-fires unarmed missile". Big News Network.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  51. ↑ "Indian Navy Soon To Be The Most Formidable Submarine Force On The Planet!". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  52. ↑ "Satisfied with nuclear sub Arihant trials: Navy Chief".
  53. ↑ "INS Aridhaman SSBN set to be launched | S4's Hull Fabrication Complete | Indian Aerospace/Defense News". iadnews.in. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  54. ↑ "Work on second nuclear sub reactor begins". 2 Dec 2014.
  55. 1 2 "INS Arihant sails out of harbour". The Hindu. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  56. ↑ S. Anandan (2012-01-14). "Second nuclear submarine headed for year-end launch". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  57. ↑ "भारत बना रहा है दूसरी परमाणु पनडुब्बी INS अरिदमन-देश – IBN Khabar". Khabar.ibnlive.in.com. 2011-05-23.
  58. ↑ "INS Aridhaman SSBN set to be launched | S4's Hull Fabrication Complete | Indian Aerospace/Defense News". iadnews.in. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  59. ↑ "Reactor of India's first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant goes 'critical'". The Times of India. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  60. ↑ "INS Arihant likely to be commissioned during IFR". The Hindu. 2015-11-29. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2015-12-11.

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