The Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam is gearing up for a unique milestone in India's defence history on July 26 wherein Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will launch the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine that is tentatively named INS Arihant.
July 26 is celebrated as 'Vijay Diwas' which marks India's triumph over Pakistani intruders in Kargil. Launch of the indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine has been planned for July 26 to coincide with Vijay Diwas. A host of Navy and defence officials are expected to grace the occasion.
Though the Navy authorities have not yet officially confirmed the programme, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy announced the Prime Minister's visit to Visakhapatnam after a meeting with the latter in New Delhi late last week. A senior Navy official told PTI over phone from Visakhapatnam that everything related to the event was being taken care of by Navy higher officials in New Delhi.
"Right now we have no information about the event as such," the Navy official added. Said to be built under the Advanced Technology Vessels (ATV) Programme at a cost of $2.9 billion at the Naval Dockyard in Visakha patnam, the 6,000-tonne submarine will be put on sea trials for two years before being commissioned into full service. In the two years, the submarine will also undergo harbour trials of its nuclear reactor and other systems.
India previously used a leased Russian-built nuclear submarine INS Chakra under then Capt R N Ganesh from January 1988 to January 1991.
With the launch of the indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine, India will join the exclusive club of US, Russia, China, France and the UK with similar capabilities. The ATV will give India the additional power of a nuclear weapon strike from the sea, apart from surface and air, which it currently possesses.
The Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have developed the ATV jointly. The nuclear reactor of the submarine has reportedly been developed at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, while the vessel is based on the Russian Akula-I class submarine.
