Nukes Go To Sea

There are a few noteworthy submarine stories over the past week, but none are bigger than the launch of India's Advanced Technology Vessel INS Arihant.

The 6,000 tonne Arihant was launched by India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a ceremony on the south-east coast.

It was built entirely in India with Russian assistance and a second one is due to be constructed shortly.

It will undergo trials over the next few years before being deployed and will be able to launch missiles at targets 700km (437 miles) away.

Until now, only the US, Russia, France, Britain and China had the capability to build nuclear submarines.

This beings India closer to becoming the first nation in decades to develop a nuclear triad, and the first nation to do so in the Indian Ocean area. While this development does not shift any balance of power in the region, it certainly gives both Pakistan and China something to think about. There is something else though, it will also give India a case for becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a discussion the current permanent five members are not looking forward to.

In other nuclear submarine news, Russia has launched their second Project 885 Yasen (NATO code name Graney) submarine, the latest Russian attack submarine.

The 119-meter-long, 13.5-meter-wide sub will carry a crew of 90, dive to 600 meters, displace 13,800 tons, and run at up to 31 knots. Designed by the St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Design Bureau, the submarine will have eight torpedo tubes and carry 24 long-range cruise missiles of several types, anti-ship missiles, and mines. Malakhit's general director and chief designer, Vladimir Pyalov, said the sub's weapons will have longer ranges and the ability to destroy land targets as well as naval ones.

Pyalov said at the launching ceremony that Severodvinsk will undergo sea tests in summer 2010 and then will be commissioned by the Northern Fleet, the RIA Novosti official news agency reported. All of the submarine's weapons, including cruise missiles, have been tested successfully.

Severodvinsk was the first Project 885 Yasen (NATO code name Graney) submarine launched back in 1993, but has been held up due to lack of funding. As has been pointed out on the blog several times, the Russian Navy continues to get the lions share of defense funding in Russia, and of the defense budget a full 25% of the budget is being spent on shipbuilding both new vessels and restoring older vessels. 85% of that shipbuilding funding is then being spent on nuclear submarines, with most of that money being spent on the Borei (project 955) strategic nuclear submarines and its troubled ballistic missile, the Bulava.

Still, Russia is coming out with a new class of ballistic missile submarine (Project 955), a new class of nuclear attack submarines (Project 885), and a new class of diesel submarines (Project 677). Additionally, the Akula II class nuclear attack submarine K-152 Nerpa appears back on schedule for delivery to India later this year.