Second nuclear submarine headed for year-end launch

[praveen007]

The Hindu : News / National : Second nuclear submarine headed for year-end launch
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At a time when diminishing operational availability of its conventional submarine fleet has put the Navy in dire straits, it has some reason to cheer.

Informed sources told The Hindu that the construction of a second Arihant-class nuclear submarine, to be named INS Aridaman, is moving fast at the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam. It is slated for launch by this year-end or in the first quarter of next year.

“The boat, under outfitting now, is headed for a year-end launch. Meanwhile, hull fabrication is on for the third Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine,” the sources said.

“Unlike surface vessels, submarines are fully outfitted before launch, which makes it a prerequisite for its weapons to be tested and ready well in advance.”

The first submarine of the class, INS Arihant, launched in July 2009, Arihant just completed its harbour acceptance trials and is set to undergo the crucial sea acceptance trials in February.

“This will be followed by weapon trials before the submarine is formally inducted into the Navy, hopefully in 2013, when the country will attain the much-desired nuclear triad,” the sources said.

Concurrently, nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra, borrowed on a 10-year lease from Russia mainly for training purposes, will be inducted in the latter half of 2012.

Troubled by the eroding strength of its conventional underwater arm, the Navy's ‘blue water' aspirations remained in the realm of wishful thinking, with the force failing to add event a single submarine to its inventory in the last decade.

With the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme to indigenously design and build nuclear-powered attack submarines gaining momentum after years of indecision and disorientation in the 1990s, the goal, claimed the sources, was within reach now.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma said last year that once commissioned, INS Arihant would be deployed on ‘deterrent (combat) patrol.'

Although it would be home-ported in Visakhapatnam, the submarine, armed with nuclear-tipped K-15 or B-5 ballistic missiles and having a range of about 750 km, would offer effective deterrence against Pakistan, the sources pointed out. The missiles are developed under the Sagarika programme.

Displacing about 6,000 tonnes, the 112 metre-long Arihant-class of boomer submarines are powered by indigenously-built 80-MW nuclear power plants.

Each submarine is said to store 12 K-15 missiles besides torpedoes and torpedo-launched cruise missiles.
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OBSOLETE FLEET

While the ATV project is on track, the Navy finds its back against the wall having to operate a flagging fleet of Russian Kilo-class and German HDW conventional diesel-electric submarines, 14 in all, 75 per cent of which are over the hill.

“The decline in the operational availability of submarines [as low as 40 per cent] has seriously compromised the force's vital sea denial capability. The absence of Air Independent Propulsion, which obviates the need for conventional submarines to surface frequently for recharging their batteries thereby enhancing their endurance is another debilitating factor,” said the sources.

 

[Archie]

So if INS Arhidaman is Launched by end of this yr or early next yr then , we could expect it to enter service by 2014-15

 

[ptltejas]

waiting for nirbhay and hypersonic test

 

[sancho]

waiting for nirbhay and hypersonic test

That's a long way to go and even if the launch of SSBNs is an important step for the deterrence against China, the prime focus now must be to improve the range of our sublaunched ballistic missiles!

 

[praveen007]

So if INS Arhidaman is Launched by end of this yr or early next yr then , we could expect it to enter service by 2014-15

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no, after lunching they will require approx 1-2 year to be fitted with all the gizmos then 2-3 years of sea trials so expect it by 2015-16.

 

[ILLUMINATO]

Would INS Aridaman would have same power to weight ratio ??
I mean speed of INS Arihant is only 24 nots per hour.For nuclear sub which are bit noisier when compared to conventional ones.
God forbid !but if somehow detected then it will have to get away quickly.Speed in excess of 32nots would be better.
Wouldn't it would be better idea to increase the power output of nuclear plant of sub to somewhere close to 150 Mw.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Would INS Aridaman would have same power to weight ratio ??
I mean speed of INS Arihant is only 24 nots per hour.For nuclear sub which are bit noisier when compared to conventional ones.
If God forbid, somehow detected then it will have to get away quickly.Speed in excess of 32nots would be better.
Wouldn't it would be better idea to increase the power output of nuclear plant of sub to somewhere close to 150 Mw.

There is nothing to worry about! BTW, how fast are the Kilos and U-209s?
About the reactors, maybe they can add on some "turbo-chargers" and add "fuel additives" ?

Leave it to the professionals, they'll take care of the boats.

 

[ILLUMINATO]

There is nothing to worry about! BTW, how fast are the Kilos and U-209s?
About the reactors, maybe they can add on some "turbo-chargers" and add "fuel additives" ?

Leave it to the professionals, they'll take care of the boats.

I think it's not good idea to compare INS Aridaman with Kilos and U-209s,both are nearly two decade old subs and soon they would be obsolete.
While INS Aridaman should be built to last at least two more decades.
Our adversary in open sea would deploy their best sub-sniffing corvettes,helis,subs to all possible locations for detecting our few nuclear subs.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

I think it's not good idea to compare INS Aridaman with Kilos and U-209s,both are nearly two decade old subs and soon they would be obsolete.
While INS Aridaman should be built to last at least two more decades.
Our adversary in open sea would deploy to all possible locations their best sub-sniffing corvettes,helis,subs for detecting our few nuclear subs.

I'll add just one thing. Speed is not the only thing that the sub needs to survive, maybe not even the most important thing.

 

[DMLA]

I think it's not good idea to compare INS Aridaman with Kilos and U-209s,both are nearly two decade old subs and soon they would be obsolete.
While INS Aridaman should be built to last at least two more decades.
Our adversary in open sea would deploy their best sub-sniffing corvettes,helis,subs to all possible locations for detecting our few nuclear subs.

You are kidding right!? There are countries still buying Kilos and 209 derivatives. Our own Kilos and 209's were/ are being modernized. At the same time it makes no sense to compare a SSBN with a SSK. Arihant/ Arindham and their sister ships will patrol deep in the Indian Ocean. There is no way any of our adversary can track them that easily. There are a number of deployment strategies that IN can follow which will allow protection to these boats. These will move closer to the coast (Pakistan/ China) only in the case of a strategic emergency and I personally do not believe that it is a possibility at least with the Chinese. And frankly I do not consider PN to be much of a threat for our future SSN's. They just don't have the numbers!

Arihant class is an interim solution to our sea based deterrent just as K-15. I am quite certain that after the first 3/4 boats, IN will be looking for a bigger SSBN with 10-12 silos for bigger missiles (3500 - 5000 km). Arihant class can then easily be converted to SSGN's (possibly nirbhay or brahmos-2's). Moreover, considering the Arihant's launch in 2009 and possible commissioning in 2012, If "Arindham" is launched this year, it should be commissioned by 2015 as the second boat should face fewer issues and have a quicker deployment due to lessons learnt from the first boat.

 

[ILLUMINATO]

You are kidding right!? There are countries still buying Kilos and 209 derivatives. Our own Kilos and 209's were/ are being modernized. At the same time it makes no sense to compare a SSBN with a SSK. Arihant/ Arindham and their sister ships will patrol deep in the Indian Ocean. There is no way any of our adversary can track them that easily. There are a number of deployment strategies that IN can follow which will allow protection to these boats. These will move closer to the coast (Pakistan/ China) only in the case of a strategic emergency and I personally do not believe that it is a possibility at least with the Chinese. And frankly I do not consider PN to be much of a threat for our future SSN's. They just don't have the numbers!

Arihant class is an interim solution to our sea based deterrent just as K-15. I am quite certain that after the first 3/4 boats, IN will be looking for a bigger SSBN with 10-12 silos for bigger missiles (3500 - 5000 km). Arihant class can then easily be converted to SSGN's (possibly nirbhay or brahmos-2's). Moreover, considering the Arihant's launch in 2009 and possible commissioning in 2012, If "Arindham" is launched this year, it should be commissioned by 2015 as the second boat should face fewer issues and have a quicker deployment due to lessons learnt from the first boat.

Deep in the sea ??
Do we have any plans for developing 5000km. Nirbhay-X ??
For carrying out any effective attack these SSBNs would have to get closer to 700km of coastline,there they would be most vulnerable.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

I am personally surprised that india is building N subs too fastly
But its good for india and the trials of arihant alone will take time as its new !!
The testing times of 2nd n 3rd subs testing will be over soon and we can have alteast 4 subs (including K 152 chakra) with another ballistic and fast attack type subs built indigenously

 

[Kinetic]

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no, after lunching they will require approx 1-2 year to be fitted with all the gizmos then 2-3 years of sea trials so expect it by 2015-16.

It is mentioned in the article itself.

“Unlike surface vessels, submarines are fully outfitted before launch, which makes it a prerequisite for its weapons to be tested and ready well in advance.”

They are fitted with most of the systems before launch. So it should be 2014/15.

 

[DMLA]

Deep in the sea ??
Do we have any plans for developing 5000km. Nirbhay-X ??
For carrying out any effective attack these SSBNs would have to get closer to 700km of coastline,there they would be most vulnerable.

Yes.. but they will not follow the cold war deployment schemes. That's why I said IN can follow other deployment strategies. They can be dispersed within the wider IOR and called in for close (< 500 km from target packages) only when absolutely needed (and that would be in the middle of a nuclear war). And as I said, current Arihants are stop gaps before the next generation of SSBN's (the same policy followed bby PLAN). Morever, my problem with your assertion was with regard to kilo and 209

 

[Archie]

Would INS Aridaman would have same power to weight ratio ??
I mean speed of INS Arihant is only 24 nots per hour.For nuclear sub which are bit noisier when compared to conventional ones.
God forbid !but if somehow detected then it will have to get away quickly.Speed in excess of 32nots would be better.
Wouldn't it would be better idea to increase the power output of nuclear plant of sub to somewhere close to 150 Mw.

I Dont think whether u know it or not but , the design of Arihant class was modified in 2009 , after the launch of First Sub
, INS Arhidaman was way too forward into the construction and could not be altered ie it would be of the same size as Arihant , but the last 2 subs will have the upgraded design , hence the 2 yr delay in there induction

The Last 2 Arihant class Subs are expected to weigh between 7200-7800 Tons(Though some reports even suggest a 8000 Ton+ Design) and carry 6-8 Launch Tubes EACH CARRYING 1 K4 SLBM, compared to the first 2 Subs which will have only 4 Launch Tubes and carry 3x4 K15 SLBM
These Subs will also carry a New 109 MW PWR using 40% enriched uranium fuel; 1 turbine , 1 shaft; 1 7-bladed, high-skew propeller COMPARED to the first 2 Subs which carry 83 MW Reactor