INS Arihant successfully tests Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

Reiterating its 'No First Use' commitment, the defence ministry said a survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in line with India's policy to have 'Credible Minimum Deterrence'.

India's strategic strike submarine INS Arihant successfully test-launched a  Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) on Friday with very high accuracy.

The Defence Ministry, in a statement, said that the SLBM was tested to impact the target area at a predetermined range in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.

Stating that all technological and operational parameters of the weapon system were validated, the defence ministry said that the SLBM's successful user training launch by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validating the SSBN programme, which is a key element of India's nuclear deterrence capability. 

Reiterating its 'No First Use' commitment, the defence ministry said a survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in line with India's policy to have 'Credible Minimum Deterrence'.

INS Arihant

The indigenously-developed nuclear submarine is a 6,000-tonne submarine with a length of 110 metres and a breadth of 11 metres. 

It can carry 12 Sagarika K 15 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles that have a range of over 700 km.

On July 26, 2009, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had commissioned it on the anniversary of Vijay Diwas (Kargil War Victory Day). It should be noted that the  Strategic Forces Command (SFC) or the Strategic Nuclear Command (SNC) is directly responsible for the construction, commissioning, testing, and status of the SSBNs. 

Also Watch: CH-47 Chinook's awesome manoeuvers at Udhampur airbase