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| India Claims Successful Test Fire Of Submarine Ballistic Missile |
New Delhi - India has successfully tested a ballistic missile fired from its first nuclear-powered submarine, the INS Arihant. India's Ministry of Defence made the comments in what is seen as a boost to the country's military capabilities.
"The launch is a testament to the "competence of the crew" and validates India's submarine ballistic missile capability, a key element of India's nuclear deterrence capability," the ministry said in a statement on Friday (14/10/2022), as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system, which were launched from the INS Arihant in the Bay of Bengal, have been validated," the ministry continued. India is now the sixth country, alongside China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States to have nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles, the Times of India reported on Friday.
The successful firing of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) also underscores India's push to build its own military hardware. In September, India debuted its first locally made aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, which was hailed as a milestone in efforts to counter China's increasing military assertiveness in the region.
The INS Vikrant is one of the largest naval vessels in the world, measuring 262 meters (860 ft) long, and entering service after 17 years of construction and testing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government also recently unveiled the first batch of Indian-made attack helicopters, designed for use in high-altitude areas such as the Himalayas where its forces clash with China in 2020.
India is one of the world's biggest arms importers and is seeking to boost its domestic arms industry as the country continues to rely heavily on weapons from Moscow, its largest and oldest military supplier for decades.
The Times of India reports that the INS Arihant was India's first nuclear-powered submarine and was launched in 2009. Since then India has developed two surface-to-surface submarine-launched missiles, one of which has a range of 3,500 km (2174 miles).