Project Varsha and INS Aridhaman: Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Push
Why in the news
Reports highlighted two parts of India’s undersea deterrent: a hidden coastal base and the next ballistic missile submarine.
Key facts
- Project Varsha: classified Navy initiative; site about 50 km south of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, near BARC Atchutapuram.
- Design: underground pens and tunnels hiding submarines from aerial and satellite surveillance.
- INS Aridhaman: built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Shipbuilding Centre, Visakhapatnam, with BARC and DRDO.
- Weapons: more K-4 SLBMs, range 3,500 km, and better than INS Arihant and INS Arighaat.
Strategic significance
- Greater strike reach in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, with fast access to chokepoints like the Malacca Strait.
- Counter to Chinese bases at Hambantota and BNS Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh).
- Stronger second-strike capability and credible minimum deterrence, the underwater leg of the nuclear triad.
Exam angle
- Missile: K-4.
- Programme: ATV.
- Terms: SSBN, nuclear triad.