India's nuclear triad is complete with INS Arihant ending its first deterrence patrol

India on Monday declared that its indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant has completed the first deterrence patrol, indicating that the nation's nuclear triad is complete. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi received today the crew of Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine (SSBN) INS Arihant. The submarine recently returned from its first deterrence patrol, completing the establishment of the country's survivable nuclear triad,” the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement. Mr. Modi called it a major achievement for the entire nation and pointed out that the success of INS Arihant enhanced India’s security needs. “True to its name, INS Arihant will protect the 130 crore Indians from external threats and contribute to the atmosphere of peace in the region,” he said in a tweet. Equipped with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, INS Arihant is India’s only Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear-powered (SSBN) submarine. Modi commends soldiers' courage, scientists' perseverance Mr. Modi commended the courage and commitment of India's brave soldiers and the talent and perseverance of its scientists, whose untiring efforts transformed the scientific achievement of nuclear tests into establishment of an immensely complex and credible nuclear triad, and dispelled all doubts and questions about India's capability and resolve in this regard, the statement said. Given India’s publicly stated position of No First Use (NFU) in launching nuclear weapons, the SSBN underwater is its most dependable platform for a second strike. Because they are powered by nuclear reactors, these submarines can stay underwater indefinitely without the adversary detecting it. The other two platforms — land-based and air launched are far easier to detect. As reported by The Hindu earlier, INS Arihant was quietly commissioned into service in August 2016 but its induction was never officially acknowledged. It is powered by a 83 MW pressurised light water reactor with enriched uranium. The ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel) project began in 1980s and the first of them, Arihant, was launched in 2009 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Since then it had undergone extensive sea trials and the reactor on board went critical in 2013. Source: The Hindu