Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur will launch India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Arihant, in Vishakhapatnam on the east coast on – 10^th anniversary of the Kargil War (Kargil Vijay Diwas).

India's first Nuclear Submarine

A new undersea Destroyer
Arihant, literally, destroyer of enemies, is likely to be commissioned by 2011, and will form a crucial leg of India’s nuclear triad. India can deliver nuclear weapons using war-planes and land-launched missiles. Arihant will provide India with stronger strategic deterrence. It will allow India to rapidly launch retaliatory strikes against nuclear attacks. Two more Arihant-class vessels will be inducted before 201. Arihant is based on the design of the Russian Charlie-1 submarine, which is of 1980s vintage.

Nuclear powered submarines are of two types

• Nulcear-powered ballistic missile submarines provide nuclear strike and counter-strike capability. Arihant falls in this category.
• Nuclear powered attack submarines, surface ships using torpedoes and land-based targets using cruise missiles.

Nuclear submarine club
Only five nations (USA, UK, France, Russia and China) operate nuclear powered submarines. With around 70 such vessels, the US navy has more than half the world’s nuclear submarines.

 INDIA HAS
16 diesel-electric submarines of Russian and German origin, which are 2-40 years old

Kilo class (Russian)
Count: 10
Inducted: 1986
Vintage: Early 1970s
Crew: 52
Range: 9,000 km
Weapons: Cruise missiles, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, mines
Speed: 17knots (31. kmph)

• Silent as a grave but runs the risk of detection when they come to periscope depth to recharge their  batteries

 
HDW (German)
Count: 4
Inducted: 1986
Vintage: Early 1970s
Crew: 40
Range: 9,000 km
Weapons: Torpedoes and mines
Speed: 20knots (37kmph)

• Silent as a grave but runs the risk of detection when they come to periscope depth to recharge their batteries. Two of these were built in India.

 
Foxtrot (Russian)
Count: 2
Inducted: 1968
Vintage: 1960s
Crew: 60
Range: 9,000 km
Weapons: Torpedoes
Speed: 15knots (27kmph)

• Silent as a grave but runs the risk of detection when they come to periscope depth to recharge their batteries. This submarine is at the end of its operational life.

 
Ongoing Projects
Akula-2: The navy will get its first nuclear attack submarine, an Akula-2 class vessel, on a 10-year lease from Russia by the end of this year.
Scorpene: Six French electric diesel submarines are being built at Mazagon Docks. The first will roll out by 2012 and the entire fleet by 2018.