INS Arighaat gives impetus to deterrence

THE commissioning of INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, marks an important step towards boosting the country’s naval prowess and nuclear deterrence capabilities. India is keen to bolster its N-triad, comprising weapons on land, in the air and at sea. This is understandable as China has modernised its nuclear programme in recent years, starting the production of its next-generation ballistic missile submarine and holding nuclear-armed sea patrols on a regular basis. In terms of operational nuclear warheads, China (500) is way ahead of India (172). However, India has close ties with both the US and Russia, which have over 1,700 such warheads each.

Beijing’s muscle-flexing in the Indian Ocean Region has been keeping Delhi on its toes. According to the Swedish think-tank SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), India is strengthening the undersea leg of its nuclear triad as well as developing long-range missiles. The presence of INS Arighaat is expected to send out a strong message to China that India is not to be trifled with in the seas.

It is commendable that the submarine has indigenous systems and equipment which were conceptualised, designed, manufactured and integrated by Indian scientists, industry and naval personnel. This underscores the significance of aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector for a country which remains the biggest arms importer in the world. At the same time, the stakeholders should guard against the temptation of resting on their laurels and becoming complacent. China’s nuclear one-upmanship knows no bounds; so does the secrecy of its operations. No wonder the US, concerned about Beijing’s rapid N-weapon build-up, has made a renewed push for holding talks on nuclear arms with the fellow superpower. While keeping a close eye on these developments, India should ensure that its ballistic submarine programme continues to uphold the policy of having ‘credible minimum deterrence’ in sync with its ‘no first use’ commitment.