Current Context : Defence minister Rajnath Singh commissioned India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Arighat or S-3 at Visakhapatnam.
- India will now have two SSBNs – INS Arihant (S-2) and INS Arighat S-3
ABOUT INS ARIGHAT
- It is similar to INS Arihant, but has more refined capabilities.
- It is about 112-metre long and weighs around 6,000 tonnes.
- Constructed by the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC),
- Speed of up to 24 knots (44 km/h) when submerged and 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) when surfaced.
- Capacity : can carry 12 K-15 SLBMs with a range of about 750 km or up to four nuclear-armed K-4 SLBMs with a range of over 3,500 km.