Have India's nuclear submarines really reached another major milestone, and it's too early to be happy! India's strategic nuclear submarine has not seen a single photo in five years of service, is it too well kept secret or is there a problem? One group of Indian experts believes that secrecy is too good, after all, it is a strategic weapon.
Arihan's special class contrasts with Akula on loan
While Arihan-class photos are very rare, the analysis of satellite imagery and available photos and the few photos available provide some indications of the internal arrangement. After five years of service in 2016, the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier USS Ari khant remains a mystery. It's no secret that it exists. But there are very few photos, and almost all of what you find on the internet is many years ago, and it's a very secret submarine program. The photos that can be seen so far are the silhouette of the submarine behind Modi on TV, as well as satellite photos.
Few people photographed India's two Arihan-class ballistic missile submarines. The first vessel, THE INS Arihant, entered service in 2016, and the second, the NS Arighat (S3), is expected to enter service this year.
The Arihant-class ballistic missile submarine is a unique design that can be described as the "infant generation" because it is much smaller than the ballistic missile submarines of other countries and has a displacement of less than ten thousand tons. Its hull is shorter and thinner than that of the great powers of the era, and can only carry four missile silos, and the nuclear submarines of other countries are generally 12 or 24 launchers.
Type 092, 12 x JL-1A submarine-launched missile
Type 094, 12 x JL-2 submarine-launched missile (range 8,000 to 14,000 km)
Triumph of France 16 x M51 submarine-launched missile (8000 to 10000km range)
Russian Norte Wind class 16 x RSM-56 Brava submarine-launched missile (10,000km range)
Russian DELTA-III class, 16 x SS-N-18 submarine-launched missile (6,500 km range)
Russian DELTA-IV class, 16 x SS-N-23 submarine-launched missile (9300 km)
British Pioneer class, 16 x Trident-II D5 submarine-launched missile (7000 to 12000 km)
Russian Typhoon, 20 x RSM-56 Brava submarine-launched missile (10,000 km range)
U.S. Ohio-class 24 x Trident-II D5 submarine-launched missile (range 7,000 to 12,000 km)
As a result, India's submarine launch is a handful more powerful than all of its counterparts in other countries.
Of course, in many ways, its modest size seems pragmatic. Other countries that are now on the path of nuclear submarines, such as Brazil, are also opting for smaller types.
An analysis of the few available photographs confirms that some aspects of Ari khant are very similar to those of the Kilo-class submarines. Many aspects, such as the upper sonar dome and bridge at the top of the bow, are visually identical, with hull diameters almost matching. Essentially, the bow hull and bridge are essentially similar to the Kilo class. This makes sense because India bought 10 Kilos.
Overall, the system is arranged in the same way as the Russian system originally installed on Kilo. One notable difference between the bows of the Arihante and the Kilo-class ships is the arrangement of the torpedo tubes. Ari khant's setting is lower. This indicates some internal differences.
Behind the bridge is the missile bay, which is unlike anything on Kilo. Four large-caliber missile silos are lined up in a single line. Initially, they were equipped with missiles for the K-15, a weapon that can carry about 1,000 kg of warheads and a range of 750 km.
However, K-15 is seen as a temporary solution. Each missile launch tube should be able to fit one K-4 missile. The newer K-4 is expected to have an estimated range of about 3,500 kilometers, almost four times that of the K-15. While the range is shorter than the submarine-launched ballistic missiles in service in other countries, it will take India's maritime deterrent a notch.
A second Arihan-class submarine seems unlikely to change the Indian Navy's attitude toward submarine secrecy. But its commissioning could provide new clues to the performance of this class of submarines. And any differences between the two ships.
Such an advanced nuclear submarine, and on August 15, 2018, India officially announced the dispatch of this submarine for strategic cruise deterrence. Then there was no more news. According to the Indian style, this is not normal. If the Indians can get their hands on it, they must make a high-profile appearance, unless something goes wrong, I'm sorry.
I checked the information, and sure enough, as expected. As early as 2019, India's lonely Alihan special SSBN has been out of service for several months, and the submarine has serious operational problems.
A report in the Hindu newspaper revealed a startling fact: India's only indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Arihant submarine, which suffered heavy damage, has been out of production for more than nine months, during which time it has not left port.
According to a source interviewed by the Hindu newspaper, the cause of the damage was "because the hatch on the rear side was mistakenly opened and water rushed in." "Human error appears to have wreaked havoc on the third leg of India's burgeoning nuclear trinity, leaving a $2.9 billion top-secret project currently dead in the water."
For readers who are concerned about India's defense affairs, Ari khant's fate doesn't seem so surprising. In recent years, the Indian Navy has not shown a particularly good track record in managing its conventional and nuclear-powered submarine forces.
Indian submarine accidents have been largely man-made tragedies, such as the sinking of the Kilo-class submarine Sinduraksak in August 2013 after a major explosion while anchored in Mumbai. The Navy investigation later found that eighteen sailors had been killed in the incident, caused by human error.
In February 2014, a fire broke out on India's Kilo-class submarine Sinduratna, killing two sailors. Although the incident was not found to have been caused by human error, it was most likely due to poor maintenance and upkeep of the vessel. Admiral D.K. Joshi, India's then chief of naval staff, resigned after the events of Sindurakshak and Sinduratna to take responsibility for both accidents.
Meanwhile, recently, the Sonar Dome of the Russian Akula II-class nuclear attack submarine Chakra, which was leased by India, was damaged at the end of 2017. Coupled with the current incident involving two Kilo-class ships and the Arihant, it is difficult to conclude that the Indian Navy's submarine operations and maintenance need to be greatly improved.
Even leaving aside the complex operations of submarines, the Indian Navy's surface combat fleet has experienced a series of accidents and breakdowns since 2010.
The Hindu newspaper's coverage of the Arihant incident includes a surprising tidbit that surreptits the country's serious problems with nuclear submarine operations.
At present, it is reported that the Ari khante has returned to the port and is undergoing damage repairs. Although the Indian government has refused to disclose its water intake, there is no doubt that the ship must be abandoned and difficult to repair after entering the water.
However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed on September 21 that on November 5, 2018, India's first strategic nuclear submarine conducted the first deterrent patrol. Whether this is India bluffing.
Originally, the Arihante submarine was one of the first ballistic missile submarines of the Indian Navy. The second vessel, the Arigit, started construction in 2011 and was launched in November 2017, has so far received no news or photos. A total of four ships are expected to be built.
There is no doubt that there must be something wrong with this imitation of Kilo's design. The Arihant is about 30 percent longer than Kilo and reportedly has a length of 110 meters.
India has experience operating nuclear submarines, but has only built them until now. Therefore, although domestic production is good, the key technology has certainly not been solved, and there is a problem of superficial service and actual failure to go out of the port.
Maybe the Indian Navy did do something very clever by sacrificing the number of missiles it carried. There is a school of thought that nuclear war can be won and that the country that throws the most missiles wins. There is another school of thought that nuclear war is crazy and impossible to win, but to ensure that this is true, deterrence must be important enough. From any school of thought, Arihant is at a disadvantage. But Arihant's deterrent power is not directed at the United States or Russia, but at Pakistan.
Now that the "Arihant" submarine has not appeared for five years, let's analyze the reasons for this?