India’s home-built nuclear submarine set for trials
INDIA: India on Wednesday said its first home-built nuclear submarine
was set for sea trials, as it detailed billion-dollar projects to arm
its navy with warships, aircraft and modern weaponry.
The indigenous 6,000-ton INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) was
unveiled in 2009 as part of a project to construct five such vessels
which would be armed with nuclear-tipped missiles and torpedoes.
“Arihant is steadily progressing towards operationalisation, and we
hope to commence sea trials in the coming months,” Indian navy chief
Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters.
“Our maritime and nuclear doctrine will then be aligned to ensure
that our nuclear insurance comes from the sea,” Verma said, Arihant is
powered by an 85-megawatt nuclear reactor and can reach 44 kilometres an
hour (24 knots), according to defence officials. It will carry a
95-member crew.
The Indian navy inducted a Russian-leased nuclear submarine into
service in April this year, joining China, France, the United States,
Britain and Russia in the elite club of countries with nuclear-powered
vessels. Verma said 43 warships were currently under construction at
local shipyards while the first of six Franco-Spanish Scorpene
submarines under contract would join the Indian navy in 2015 and the
sixth by 2018.
The admiral said the navy was also poised to induct eight Boeing
long-range maritime reconnaissance P-8I aircraft next year.
AFP
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