The INS Arihant, India’s first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, has remained out of order for nearly a year after a serious accident caused by human error. According to sources in the Indian Navy, an incident about ten months ago put the submarine into extensive repairs.
The INS Arihant, a critical limb of India’s nuclear triad, sustained significant damage when water flooded its propulsion compartment. This occurred in the case where a hatch on the rear side was inadvertently left open while the submarine was docked at the harbor. The Hindu has reported that there was a serious corrosion of the pressurized water coolant pipes as a result of this flooding and they would have to be replaced.
The submarine, part of the ATV project, was on a serious and labor-intensive cleaning and repair job. The naval source said pipe work is very involved, with many parts that have to be cut open or replaced. The incident begs the question of what India’s operational nuclear posture was at such a critical time when there was a military standoff with China at Doklam in 2017.
INS Arihant, commissioned in October 2016, is India’s only operational Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) asset. It can remain concealed undersea for long periods and hence act as a dependable platform for second-strike capability in keeping with the “no first use” doctrine enunciated in India’s nuclear policy. The submarine can carry 12 K-15 short-range missiles or K-4 intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
The absence of Arihant from active duty has not been only a strategic concern but also an embarrassment for the Indian Armed Forces. The submarine’s role is key, for it’s supposed to be the most dependable platform for a second strike, with options across land and air being more easily detectable.
The incident has brought to the fore the difficulties of developing such high-end military technology indigenously. According to senior naval sources, Arihant was plagued by various problems right from the beginning. The beginning of initial delays and glitches during the reactor’s critical stages and the harbor trials, coupled with the difference between the Russian-supplied design and the indigenous fabrication, has left several issues wide open.
It has grand plans to build a fleet of five Arihant-class SSBNs, but all depends on getting past the problems encountered with the first vessel. The Eastern Naval Command is planning to base its nuclear submarine fleet from an independent NOAB at Rambilli, close to Visakhapatnam.
The second ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arighat, was launched for sea trials in November 2017 with a low-key event attended by special invitee Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior Navy officers. This development of Arighat is a step ahead, but the operational readiness of “Arihant” remains an important issue of concern to India’s strategic forces.
Questions have been raised over the future of India’s nuclear submarine program, although the Ministry of Defence has chosen to not comment on the incident.