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Rajendra Chola
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4 Boomers before 2030. With capacity for 24 K4/5 SLBM. Hopefully we have 500kt bombs to go with it.
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It's commissioning today!
The 3rd Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (hull S4, pennant SSBN-82).
The S4 marks the advent of the "Arihant-Stretch" sub-class. Biggest outwardly visible change being the expansion of missile launch cells from 4 to 8.
So S5 construction also has started according to this report.
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An AI-upscaled, enhanced version of an old photo of the INS Arihant from over a decade ago:
Original image source:
Also, a cool new AI-generated artwork from LiveFist of the Arihant Stretch:
It seems to have been prompted using real images like this of the S3/Arighaat (but with the missile compartment increased in length to reflect the S4's configuration):
On that note, found some nice 3D models of the Arihant online, though there are some mistakes like the tailfin design (compare with real photo above):
An earlier report by Sandeep Unnithan's Chakra News (Sandeep is the most reliable source on the nuclear submarine program) revealed that the first TWO boats of the S5 class were under construction, not just one:
"The ATVP has already begun construction of the first two units of the S5 SSBNs, which at 13,500 tons are twice the size of the Arihant-class submarines. The first S5 will enter service in the early 2030s. A total of four S5 SSBNs will be acquired by the late 2030s."
chakranewz.com
My comment on that:
defencehub.live
Original image source:
Also, a cool new AI-generated artwork from LiveFist of the Arihant Stretch:
It seems to have been prompted using real images like this of the S3/Arighaat (but with the missile compartment increased in length to reflect the S4's configuration):
On that note, found some nice 3D models of the Arihant online, though there are some mistakes like the tailfin design (compare with real photo above):
An earlier report by Sandeep Unnithan's Chakra News (Sandeep is the most reliable source on the nuclear submarine program) revealed that the first TWO boats of the S5 class were under construction, not just one:
"The ATVP has already begun construction of the first two units of the S5 SSBNs, which at 13,500 tons are twice the size of the Arihant-class submarines. The first S5 will enter service in the early 2030s. A total of four S5 SSBNs will be acquired by the late 2030s."
CHAKRA EXCLUSIVE: India’s fourth SSBN sails out for sea trials
India’s fourth ballistic missile submarine, the S4*, has commenced sea trials. The 7000-ton submarine sailed out for sea trials sometime last week.
chakranewz.com
My comment on that:
Nuclear Submarines (SSBN & SSN)
CCS cleared acquisition of the first 2 SSNs! https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/india-clears-mega-deals-worth-rs-80000-crore-for-nuclear-submarines-predator-drones20241009213437/
defencehub.live
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Good article from the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), credit to Joseph Dempsey & Karl Dewey:
There's lots of interesting satellite images (via Vantor) and information, here's some excerpts:
"On 3 April 2026, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Aridhaman (S4), its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), at Visakhapatnam on the Bay of Bengal.
Despite widespread reporting by local media, there was no official confirmation, with New Delhi remaining secretive about its growing SSBN capabilities. Nonetheless, satellite imagery analysis by the IISS corroborates reporting, with imagery from 5 April showing an SSBN – almost certainly INS Aridhaman – with maritime signal flags strung along its hull. Known as ‘dressing overall’, the practice is reserved for special celebratory events."
"Assessments regarding the status of India’s naval deterrence are mixed. Indian authorities credit their SSBNs as having undertaken ‘deterrence missions’ – with the lead boat Arihant completing a first patrol in late 2018. However, their growing fleet is not yet fully operational in a commonly understood Continuous At-Sea Deterrent (CASD) role, with imagery from January 2026 showing all four hulls alongside at Visakhapatnam."
"Though a continuous patrolling cycle is theoretically possible with three boats rotating between patrol, repair, and training, this leaves little redundancy or flexibility, especially considering that each stage is likely to vary in duration. Commissioning S4*, potentially in 2027, will ease operational pressures and allow at least one boat to be continuously on patrol. In conjunction, the other SSBNs can progress through repair and training cycles while the fourth boat remains in reserve, in case of operational or technical issues.
As such, only once all four Arihant-class boats are commissioned will India have the foundations for a robust nuclear triad, though purists may go further and insist that, because of the seeming capability differences between the Arihant class’s two batches, Indian strategists may need to wait for the S5s to enter service before the navy has an undeniably robust CASD. In addition to the boats themselves, other factors, such as India’s evolving submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability and growing Very Low Frequency (VLF) communications systems, are also key to a survivable second-strike capability."
"Visakhapatnam has been home to India’s SSBNs for several decades, with the four Arihant-class boats all constructed, fitted out and operating within close proximity. Housing an SSBN base within a wider congested port complex may pose operational and physical security challenges, with mobile floating shelters providing limited concealment and little in the way of protection.
However, over at least the last 15 years, work has been slowly progressing on a more remote and secure home, some 50 km south of Visakhapatnam. While the new naval base, known as INS Varsha, is expected to host other elements of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command’s growing fleet of surface combatants, it is expected principally to serve as a nuclear submarine support facility for India’s SSBN fleet. In addition to the existing fleet, INS Varsha seems prepared to accommodate India’s next generation of SSBNs, with two S5 SSBNs already under construction at Visakhapatnam, according to local media."
"Information on the secretive base remains sparse, but one element that is increasingly apparent from satellite imagery is the widely reported construction of an underground submarine facility, with two large tunnel entrances visible. Recent imagery indicates water within the tunnels, suggesting completion of the waterway, and a logical next step would be to remove the cofferdams used to hold back the water during construction. Though the layout of the facility is not clear beyond these two – presumed linked – water entrances, some 1.5 km apart, it is also ringed by over a dozen apparent road-access tunnel entrances, indicating the potential for a much vaster underground support complex for SSBN operations."
"While housing the facility underground provides additional natural protection for berthed submarines and infrastructure, it also aids in the concealment of deployed numbers from space surveillance. There are numerous precedents for underground submarine basing, and this is a feature of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy base at Hainan Island."
"The commissioning of India’s third SSBN is an indisputable milestone in the country’s ambitions to establish a credible minimum deterrence, with the additional boat marking a further step towards enhanced survivability and a credible second-strike capability. That said, India’s vision of credible minimum deterrence remains a work in progress, as the country begins to implement CASD, finalises basing at INS Varsha and rolls out planned VLF communications systems for the Indian Ocean region. Yet, even with these limitations, India is planning for its next generation of capabilities, as the country makes slow but deliberate progress in its nuclear deterrence."
There's lots of interesting satellite images (via Vantor) and information, here's some excerpts:
"On 3 April 2026, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Aridhaman (S4), its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), at Visakhapatnam on the Bay of Bengal.
Despite widespread reporting by local media, there was no official confirmation, with New Delhi remaining secretive about its growing SSBN capabilities. Nonetheless, satellite imagery analysis by the IISS corroborates reporting, with imagery from 5 April showing an SSBN – almost certainly INS Aridhaman – with maritime signal flags strung along its hull. Known as ‘dressing overall’, the practice is reserved for special celebratory events."
"Assessments regarding the status of India’s naval deterrence are mixed. Indian authorities credit their SSBNs as having undertaken ‘deterrence missions’ – with the lead boat Arihant completing a first patrol in late 2018. However, their growing fleet is not yet fully operational in a commonly understood Continuous At-Sea Deterrent (CASD) role, with imagery from January 2026 showing all four hulls alongside at Visakhapatnam."
"Though a continuous patrolling cycle is theoretically possible with three boats rotating between patrol, repair, and training, this leaves little redundancy or flexibility, especially considering that each stage is likely to vary in duration. Commissioning S4*, potentially in 2027, will ease operational pressures and allow at least one boat to be continuously on patrol. In conjunction, the other SSBNs can progress through repair and training cycles while the fourth boat remains in reserve, in case of operational or technical issues.
As such, only once all four Arihant-class boats are commissioned will India have the foundations for a robust nuclear triad, though purists may go further and insist that, because of the seeming capability differences between the Arihant class’s two batches, Indian strategists may need to wait for the S5s to enter service before the navy has an undeniably robust CASD. In addition to the boats themselves, other factors, such as India’s evolving submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability and growing Very Low Frequency (VLF) communications systems, are also key to a survivable second-strike capability."
"Visakhapatnam has been home to India’s SSBNs for several decades, with the four Arihant-class boats all constructed, fitted out and operating within close proximity. Housing an SSBN base within a wider congested port complex may pose operational and physical security challenges, with mobile floating shelters providing limited concealment and little in the way of protection.
However, over at least the last 15 years, work has been slowly progressing on a more remote and secure home, some 50 km south of Visakhapatnam. While the new naval base, known as INS Varsha, is expected to host other elements of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command’s growing fleet of surface combatants, it is expected principally to serve as a nuclear submarine support facility for India’s SSBN fleet. In addition to the existing fleet, INS Varsha seems prepared to accommodate India’s next generation of SSBNs, with two S5 SSBNs already under construction at Visakhapatnam, according to local media."
"Information on the secretive base remains sparse, but one element that is increasingly apparent from satellite imagery is the widely reported construction of an underground submarine facility, with two large tunnel entrances visible. Recent imagery indicates water within the tunnels, suggesting completion of the waterway, and a logical next step would be to remove the cofferdams used to hold back the water during construction. Though the layout of the facility is not clear beyond these two – presumed linked – water entrances, some 1.5 km apart, it is also ringed by over a dozen apparent road-access tunnel entrances, indicating the potential for a much vaster underground support complex for SSBN operations."
"While housing the facility underground provides additional natural protection for berthed submarines and infrastructure, it also aids in the concealment of deployed numbers from space surveillance. There are numerous precedents for underground submarine basing, and this is a feature of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy base at Hainan Island."
Outlook
"The commissioning of India’s third SSBN is an indisputable milestone in the country’s ambitions to establish a credible minimum deterrence, with the additional boat marking a further step towards enhanced survivability and a credible second-strike capability. That said, India’s vision of credible minimum deterrence remains a work in progress, as the country begins to implement CASD, finalises basing at INS Varsha and rolls out planned VLF communications systems for the Indian Ocean region. Yet, even with these limitations, India is planning for its next generation of capabilities, as the country makes slow but deliberate progress in its nuclear deterrence."
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