Despite new nuclear submarine, India still lags China in naval strength

The INS Arighaat and its predecessor, the INS Arihant, mark a leap forward for India but analysts say the Chinese navy remains far superior

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The INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Photo: Handout

Published: 4:00pm, 3 Sep 2024Updated: 6:59am, 4 Sep 2024

India’s recent launch of its second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine may have boosted its deterrence capabilities, but analysts say the country has a long way to go in closing the gap on China’s naval power.

Unveiled last week in the port city of Visakhapatnam, the domestically developed INS Arighaat is armed with K-15 missiles that boast a striking range of 750km (466 miles). At the launch, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that this new submarine would fortify India’s nuclear deterrence and play a decisive role in national security.

He said the INS Arighaat would join its predecessor, the INS Arihant, in bolstering India’s “nuclear triad” – the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, sea and air.

The submarine’s introduction was timely, according to former chief of India’s naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash, amid challenges posed by the country’s two nuclear-armed neighbours: Pakistan and China.

Prakash highlighted the stark contrasts in nuclear policies among these nations.

“India’s 2003 doctrine states that it will not be the first to use a nuclear weapon ever whereas Pakistan has made no such commitment and it keeps threatening it would use nuclear weapons when required,” he told This Week in Asia. “China also adopts the ‘no first use’ policy but its intentions are not clear.”