On Wednesday, the Indian Navy successfully test-fired the K-4 ballistic missile from the newly inducted nuclear submarine INS Arighaat. This is a 3,500-kilometer-range missile and an important step in strengthening India’s second-strike capability.
After this successful test, the Navy will conduct further tests of the missile system to declare it operationally deployable.
Presently, INS Arighaat and INS Arihant are the two submarines in the Indian Navy capable of firing ballistic missiles. INS Arighaat was commissioned into service last month at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.
A third nuclear submarine has already been launched and is expected to join the fleet next year as part of India’s enhanced underwater defense capabilities.
