DID YOU KNOW OF THE ‘FROM SCRATCH MADE IN INDIA’ ARIHANT & NUCLEAR PRP REACTOR | India Defence Forum
By IDF Analysis on November 9, 2014
IDF Book Review of Second Strike writer says is made possible !
This is a curtain raiser to pay a tribute to the planners, designers and builders of the first of India’s three nuclear powered nuclear attack (SSBN) submarines INS Arihant, Aridhaman to follow and another under the classified Advanced Technology Vehicle project (ATV) at Vishakpatnam before she proceeds to sea on her maiden voyage. DRDO Chief Dr Avinash Chander, confirmed that Airhant is clearing final checks and is due to proceed to sea for the challenging ‘first of class’ sea and deep diving trials in the coming weeks. Thereafter, she will install the ‘Plug & Play’ K-15/B-05 Sagarika vertical launch 750 km ranged nuclear-tipped missiles to join the ‘triad’ for India’s nuclear deterrence.
ANAD PRP KALPAKKAM COMPLETED REPLICA IN ARIHANT
The miniature nuclear reactors on submarines enable them to safely operate under water for weeks , before the submarine surfaces. Oxygen is regenerated under water from sea water. US submarines’ record is three months. A nuclear submarine is ‘Pearl’ shaped, and therefore has faster speed under water than on surface. Inertial navigation gadgets , underwater GPS receivers and sonars ensure her safe navigation and communications.
The USS Nautilus, world’s first nuclear submarine took 16 years from 1944 when it was authorized, to 1955 to complete sea trials and 1960, to join the fleet. Russia took 16 years to build its first second generation SSN-093 submarine (1990-2006). The Arihant is in that league, and the achievement must be judged as such, and lauded.
ANAND AND VICE ADMIRAL B BHUSHAN INVITED BY DR S BASU TO VIEW PRP RUNNING -2008
The veil of secrecy over the Navy-DRDO’s ATV project was first lifted on 26 Jul 2009, when Mrs Gursharan Kaur wife of then Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh, unveiled the submarine at the Ship Building Centre (SBC) Vishakapatnam which was carved out of the sprawling Naval Dockyard to build nuclear submarines. She broke the customary coconut to name Arihant, and bless all those who sail in her as the vanquiser of enemies. No photography of the 6,000 ton black menacing hull was allowed.
Dr Manmohan Singh thanked all those who had contributed to the project, including the Russian technicians in the presence of the Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin. It is a nuclear engineering feat in which Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists mastered the ability to make a light water miniature (LWR) enriched uranium reactor from scratch at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGARC) at Kalpakkam South of Chennai code named PRP, which stood for the Propulsion Recycling Project –land Based.
ANAND MAIN PRP REACTOR AND HALF SUBMARINE BUILDING -ENTRANCE IN BLUE
Dr RP Dastidar commenced the studies on PRP at BARC in late 70s, after the successful Smiling Buddha PNE blasts in 1974. It was triggered by PM Mrs Indira Gandhi, who was handling Atomic Energy, when she told scientists that one day India would need a nuclear submarine from the experience of the 1971 war when a Soviet nuclear submarine sent in to the Bay of Bengal, had thwarted the USS Enterprise Task Force-74 from acting.
Dastidar became head of the Reactor Group and later went on to become Director of BARC. In 1983 when PRP was funded as a live project he handed over to French and US trained atomic expert on fuels for the Pressure Water Reactors (PWRs) Anil Anand, who was working on Pressure Water Reactors from his French experience. Anand has written an autobiography Second Strike, due release, in which his personal life and few unclassified details of the PRP and ATV are discussed. He describes how PRP project progressed and how it was married with the ATV training half submarine at Kalpakkam. He is all praise for the naval co-operation. Only USA, Russia, France, China and UK with US help have the capability to engineer and manufacture submarines with nuclear reactors and underwater launched nuclear tipped missiles.
ANAND WITH CNS BHAGWAT VADM MADHVENDRA SINGH
The Navy and DRDO had set up the ATV project in 1984 to first design and construct land based prototype features of a submarine around the PRP at Kalpakkam, which were married by 2001. The navy followed the example of other navies, and the British who set up a training reactor at Royal Navy’s Greenwich college called Jason, where this author was exposed to the working of a submarine’s computer controlled automatic reactor, and how rods of Uranium are inserted to start and control the reaction. The heat produces steam to run the submarine’s turbines which propels the boat, even under water in a continuous process.
The book reveals how PRP’s success and confidence led to the construction, assembly and outfitting of the Arihant at the SBC, with indigenous and imported equipment in a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) between BARC, Navy and DRDO with engineering giant Larsen &Toubro Ltd (L&T). A large shed and dry dock were leased to L&T in the segregated part of the large Naval Dockyard in Vishakhapatnam, built originally with Soviet help especially Admiral Sergie Goshkov’s who was became and admirier of the Indian Navy after the 1971 war, and use of Osa Styx missile boats off Karachi.
When Arihant is operational, coded signals to launch missiles or weapons can be sent to the submarine even submerged from the nation’s political nuclear command authority (NCA). In India, the Government’s decision for nuclear action will be conveyed through the National Security Adviser (NSA) as extracted from the Prime Minster’s black attaché case of codes, called the President’s Football in USA, always carried with him.
It is to the credit of the Indian Navy planners that they joined hands with scientists at BARC as early as the 1970s, when naval officers were deputed to the BARC’s Atomic Training Centre for M(Tech) in nuclear engineering and jointly began involving themselves in the design of miniature nuclear reactors in a classified group code-named the new ‘New Reactor Projects Division’. The section was carved out of the existing BARC’s Reactor Engineering Division, with dozens of engineers as the ‘core’ design team.
PRP’s execution was left to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Chairman Dr HN Sethna and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director Dr Raja Ramanna – (known as the Father of India’s nuclear programme for leading the 1974 PNE nuclear test), with funding from PMO, the DRDO and the Navy with local authority and internal audit. The team included Messrs V K Mehra, R B Grover, R S Yadav; R S Yadav is now the Director Reactor Projects , BARC; V K Mehra retired 3 years back and holds a Raja Ramanna fellowship in BARC, R B Grover retired two years back but is now Homi Bhabha professor and is the Director of Homi Bhabha Institute of Niuclear Science and Technology, a deemed University under DAE.
Sekhar Basu Padma Shri, who is the current head of BARC since 2012 , worked with Anil K Anand for PRP’s engineering challenge, while Anil handled the fuel systems and the project. In his personal autobiography, Second Strike, largely of his love affair in France has included some details of the work by the New Reactor Projects Division; he was a colleague of Dr Anil Kakodkar at BARC, and writes at length of his infatuation and how married Dr Sribyatta the wonderful Thai lady Doctor, as both were on scholarship residing in the same hotel in Paris. He claims it was love at first meeting.
Dr Anand studied zircaloy joints and tubes and calandria ends in France’s Pressure Water Reactors (PWR) at the Centre Energy Atomique at Scalay near Paris in Section des Advances, for the French EL-4 PWR reactor at Brennilis and brought back the techniques which was to help him at BARC for the Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), which he says was late Dr Homi Bhabha’s dream. His learning ensured the PRP became a successful submarine nuclear training reactor, and went critical on 11 Nov 2003, and operational on 22 Sep 2006 at Kalpakkam. Its replica (see photo) is the Arihant’s 100 MW pressured enriched Uranium- U-235 light pressure water reactor and its operation will be proved at sea. Dates of execution are listed in the book.
The Navy set up a Machinery Test Centre (MTC) at Vishakapatnam to assist the project, and the Defence Machinery &Design Establishment at Hyderabad ((DMDE) to pre –test all major equipment for ATV. Soviet technicians and Indo-Soviet Working Groups helped the Arihant programme as consultants.
It needs mentioning Navy Rear Admirals R S Chaudhry trained at IIT Kharagpur , Greenwich and with HDW Germany as the naval architect, engineers Gurmeet Singh and N Nadaph both trained at BARC find mention as the naval pioneers who were associated with the project from day one. The Directors General of the ATV project were Vice Admirals, the late MK (Mickey) Roy, an illustrious French trained Alize Observer from 1984 who was also Dr Rammana’s friend and paying guest roommate in London, followed by Bharat Bhushan till 2000 a UK trained engineering specialist, RN Ganesh till 2003 the first Captain of INS Chakra trained at Vladivostok , Promod Bhasin till 2008, a missile specialist electrical officer who had served in UK and Soviet Union and prepared the Styx P-20 missiles for the 1971 war , who cut the steel, DSP Verma till 2012, and currently Dinesh Prabhakar.
The major challenge ashore to over come, was to make a dynamo meter to absorb the power which is used in a submarine to power the propeller, and have correct settings to meet the Qualitative Requirements (QRs) set by the ATV. No nation shares this technique. Arihant will be a land mark achievement for the nation to appreciate the challenges encountered when the Captain proudly reports to the President, India’s Supreme Commander, ‘Arihant is at sea under nuclear power, Sir’, as US Navy’s first submarine Captain of USS Natulius did in 1954 and went on to sail under the North Pole undetected.
Cmde Retd Ranjit B Rai is author of WARRING NAVIES , International Correspondent India Strategic and the latest Edition carries the story linked, edited by India Strategic.
By IDF Analysis on November 9, 2014
IDF Book Review of Second Strike writer says is made possible !
This is a curtain raiser to pay a tribute to the planners, designers and builders of the first of India’s three nuclear powered nuclear attack (SSBN) submarines INS Arihant, Aridhaman to follow and another under the classified Advanced Technology Vehicle project (ATV) at Vishakpatnam before she proceeds to sea on her maiden voyage. DRDO Chief Dr Avinash Chander, confirmed that Airhant is clearing final checks and is due to proceed to sea for the challenging ‘first of class’ sea and deep diving trials in the coming weeks. Thereafter, she will install the ‘Plug & Play’ K-15/B-05 Sagarika vertical launch 750 km ranged nuclear-tipped missiles to join the ‘triad’ for India’s nuclear deterrence.
ANAD PRP KALPAKKAM COMPLETED REPLICA IN ARIHANT
The miniature nuclear reactors on submarines enable them to safely operate under water for weeks , before the submarine surfaces. Oxygen is regenerated under water from sea water. US submarines’ record is three months. A nuclear submarine is ‘Pearl’ shaped, and therefore has faster speed under water than on surface. Inertial navigation gadgets , underwater GPS receivers and sonars ensure her safe navigation and communications.
The USS Nautilus, world’s first nuclear submarine took 16 years from 1944 when it was authorized, to 1955 to complete sea trials and 1960, to join the fleet. Russia took 16 years to build its first second generation SSN-093 submarine (1990-2006). The Arihant is in that league, and the achievement must be judged as such, and lauded.
ANAND AND VICE ADMIRAL B BHUSHAN INVITED BY DR S BASU TO VIEW PRP RUNNING -2008
The veil of secrecy over the Navy-DRDO’s ATV project was first lifted on 26 Jul 2009, when Mrs Gursharan Kaur wife of then Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh, unveiled the submarine at the Ship Building Centre (SBC) Vishakapatnam which was carved out of the sprawling Naval Dockyard to build nuclear submarines. She broke the customary coconut to name Arihant, and bless all those who sail in her as the vanquiser of enemies. No photography of the 6,000 ton black menacing hull was allowed.
Dr Manmohan Singh thanked all those who had contributed to the project, including the Russian technicians in the presence of the Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin. It is a nuclear engineering feat in which Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists mastered the ability to make a light water miniature (LWR) enriched uranium reactor from scratch at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGARC) at Kalpakkam South of Chennai code named PRP, which stood for the Propulsion Recycling Project –land Based.
ANAND MAIN PRP REACTOR AND HALF SUBMARINE BUILDING -ENTRANCE IN BLUE
Dr RP Dastidar commenced the studies on PRP at BARC in late 70s, after the successful Smiling Buddha PNE blasts in 1974. It was triggered by PM Mrs Indira Gandhi, who was handling Atomic Energy, when she told scientists that one day India would need a nuclear submarine from the experience of the 1971 war when a Soviet nuclear submarine sent in to the Bay of Bengal, had thwarted the USS Enterprise Task Force-74 from acting.
Dastidar became head of the Reactor Group and later went on to become Director of BARC. In 1983 when PRP was funded as a live project he handed over to French and US trained atomic expert on fuels for the Pressure Water Reactors (PWRs) Anil Anand, who was working on Pressure Water Reactors from his French experience. Anand has written an autobiography Second Strike, due release, in which his personal life and few unclassified details of the PRP and ATV are discussed. He describes how PRP project progressed and how it was married with the ATV training half submarine at Kalpakkam. He is all praise for the naval co-operation. Only USA, Russia, France, China and UK with US help have the capability to engineer and manufacture submarines with nuclear reactors and underwater launched nuclear tipped missiles.
ANAND WITH CNS BHAGWAT VADM MADHVENDRA SINGH
The Navy and DRDO had set up the ATV project in 1984 to first design and construct land based prototype features of a submarine around the PRP at Kalpakkam, which were married by 2001. The navy followed the example of other navies, and the British who set up a training reactor at Royal Navy’s Greenwich college called Jason, where this author was exposed to the working of a submarine’s computer controlled automatic reactor, and how rods of Uranium are inserted to start and control the reaction. The heat produces steam to run the submarine’s turbines which propels the boat, even under water in a continuous process.
The book reveals how PRP’s success and confidence led to the construction, assembly and outfitting of the Arihant at the SBC, with indigenous and imported equipment in a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) between BARC, Navy and DRDO with engineering giant Larsen &Toubro Ltd (L&T). A large shed and dry dock were leased to L&T in the segregated part of the large Naval Dockyard in Vishakhapatnam, built originally with Soviet help especially Admiral Sergie Goshkov’s who was became and admirier of the Indian Navy after the 1971 war, and use of Osa Styx missile boats off Karachi.
When Arihant is operational, coded signals to launch missiles or weapons can be sent to the submarine even submerged from the nation’s political nuclear command authority (NCA). In India, the Government’s decision for nuclear action will be conveyed through the National Security Adviser (NSA) as extracted from the Prime Minster’s black attaché case of codes, called the President’s Football in USA, always carried with him.
It is to the credit of the Indian Navy planners that they joined hands with scientists at BARC as early as the 1970s, when naval officers were deputed to the BARC’s Atomic Training Centre for M(Tech) in nuclear engineering and jointly began involving themselves in the design of miniature nuclear reactors in a classified group code-named the new ‘New Reactor Projects Division’. The section was carved out of the existing BARC’s Reactor Engineering Division, with dozens of engineers as the ‘core’ design team.
PRP’s execution was left to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Chairman Dr HN Sethna and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director Dr Raja Ramanna – (known as the Father of India’s nuclear programme for leading the 1974 PNE nuclear test), with funding from PMO, the DRDO and the Navy with local authority and internal audit. The team included Messrs V K Mehra, R B Grover, R S Yadav; R S Yadav is now the Director Reactor Projects , BARC; V K Mehra retired 3 years back and holds a Raja Ramanna fellowship in BARC, R B Grover retired two years back but is now Homi Bhabha professor and is the Director of Homi Bhabha Institute of Niuclear Science and Technology, a deemed University under DAE.
Sekhar Basu Padma Shri, who is the current head of BARC since 2012 , worked with Anil K Anand for PRP’s engineering challenge, while Anil handled the fuel systems and the project. In his personal autobiography, Second Strike, largely of his love affair in France has included some details of the work by the New Reactor Projects Division; he was a colleague of Dr Anil Kakodkar at BARC, and writes at length of his infatuation and how married Dr Sribyatta the wonderful Thai lady Doctor, as both were on scholarship residing in the same hotel in Paris. He claims it was love at first meeting.
Dr Anand studied zircaloy joints and tubes and calandria ends in France’s Pressure Water Reactors (PWR) at the Centre Energy Atomique at Scalay near Paris in Section des Advances, for the French EL-4 PWR reactor at Brennilis and brought back the techniques which was to help him at BARC for the Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), which he says was late Dr Homi Bhabha’s dream. His learning ensured the PRP became a successful submarine nuclear training reactor, and went critical on 11 Nov 2003, and operational on 22 Sep 2006 at Kalpakkam. Its replica (see photo) is the Arihant’s 100 MW pressured enriched Uranium- U-235 light pressure water reactor and its operation will be proved at sea. Dates of execution are listed in the book.
The Navy set up a Machinery Test Centre (MTC) at Vishakapatnam to assist the project, and the Defence Machinery &Design Establishment at Hyderabad ((DMDE) to pre –test all major equipment for ATV. Soviet technicians and Indo-Soviet Working Groups helped the Arihant programme as consultants.
It needs mentioning Navy Rear Admirals R S Chaudhry trained at IIT Kharagpur , Greenwich and with HDW Germany as the naval architect, engineers Gurmeet Singh and N Nadaph both trained at BARC find mention as the naval pioneers who were associated with the project from day one. The Directors General of the ATV project were Vice Admirals, the late MK (Mickey) Roy, an illustrious French trained Alize Observer from 1984 who was also Dr Rammana’s friend and paying guest roommate in London, followed by Bharat Bhushan till 2000 a UK trained engineering specialist, RN Ganesh till 2003 the first Captain of INS Chakra trained at Vladivostok , Promod Bhasin till 2008, a missile specialist electrical officer who had served in UK and Soviet Union and prepared the Styx P-20 missiles for the 1971 war , who cut the steel, DSP Verma till 2012, and currently Dinesh Prabhakar.
The major challenge ashore to over come, was to make a dynamo meter to absorb the power which is used in a submarine to power the propeller, and have correct settings to meet the Qualitative Requirements (QRs) set by the ATV. No nation shares this technique. Arihant will be a land mark achievement for the nation to appreciate the challenges encountered when the Captain proudly reports to the President, India’s Supreme Commander, ‘Arihant is at sea under nuclear power, Sir’, as US Navy’s first submarine Captain of USS Natulius did in 1954 and went on to sail under the North Pole undetected.
Cmde Retd Ranjit B Rai is author of WARRING NAVIES , International Correspondent India Strategic and the latest Edition carries the story linked, edited by India Strategic.
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