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With a cryptic tweet from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and a silent
induction, INS Aridaman joined the Indian Navy’s fleet in early April
2026. The induction raised India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile
submarine (SSBN) strength to three.
Joining the ranks of INS Arihant and INS Arighat, Aridaman will vastly
bolster India’s nuclear triad, helping establish a reliable continuous
at-sea deterrence (CASD) that allows sustained deployment cycles at
sea, Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande (Retd) told Editor-in-Chief
Nitin A. Gokhale.
SSBNs form a major component of India’s second strike capability.
Aridaman’s induction is an important step that elevates India’s
nuclear deterrence architecture to a whole new level, he added.
Compared to INS Arihant and INS Arighat, the 7,000-tonne Aridaman can
carry more K-15 missiles, as well as the intermediate-range K-4
nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
With this induction, India joins a select group of nations, including
the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and China that operate a
full-fledged nuclear triad backed by nuclear-powered submarines.
