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India commissioned its second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine into its naval fleet on Thursday, the country’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The development will add to its ability to launch nuclear weapons from sea, air or land.
Indian Naval Ship Arighaat will “enhance nuclear deterrence, help in establishing strategic balance & peace in the region,” India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said at the induction of the new boat in the southern Indian city Visakhapatnam.
The addition to India’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet capable of launching nuclear weapons is a significant event given the growing competition between China and the US and it’s allies for dominance in the Indian Ocean Region. To this end, the US, UK and Australia entered into a defense pact in 2021 to help Canberra build nuclear-powered, albeit not nuclear missile, submarines to contain China’s aggressiveness.
Nuclear-powered submarines can stay underwater for an extended amount of time making them difficult to detect unlike conventional diesel-electric powered vessels which need to surface at regular intervals to charge batteries.
The South Asian country has a “No-First-Use” nuclear doctrine, which means it will not initiate but will retaliate when attacked. Only a few countries including the US, China and Russia have nuclear-powered submarines.
India already has one operational homemade nuclear-powered submarine — INS Arihant — and intends to build a few more although the numbers have not been made public.
The submarine is “significantly more advanced” than the previous one, said Singh at the induction ceremony of the vessel.
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