India’s third ballistic submarine Aridaman to be commissioned soon

Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi on Tuesday said India will soon commission its third indigenous nuclear-powered, ballistic-missile submarine, named Aridaman.

In naval parlance, such vessels are called ship submersible ballistic nuclear (SSBN) submarines. India has already inducted two SSBNs — INS Arihant and INS Arighat. These nuclear-powered submarines can remain submerged for weeks. While India’s nuclear doctrine rules out a first strike, an SSBN operating underwater is considered the most survivable platform for a retaliatory strike.

Separate from the SSBN programme, India is also looking to secure a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) from Russia. This submarine will be nuclear-powered but will not carry nuclear missiles. Sources said it was expected to arrive in India by 2027. In the past, India has leased such vessels from Russia twice.

The Admiral made these remarks at a press conference held two days ahead of Navy Day, observed on December 4 to commemorate the audacious 1971 attack on Karachi.

On Operation Sindoor, the Admiral said the mission remains ongoing. Referring to the four-day period between May 7 and 10, he said aggressive posturing and deployment of the carrier battle group had pinned the Pakistan navy close to its coast. He added that India’s maritime domain awareness ensured the Pakistan navy did not leave its territorial waters.

Asked whether Pakistan might retaliate, the Admiral said, “We did not see any chance of retaliation as their assets, including maritime surveillance aircraft, did not venture out.” He added that while Pakistan uses Chinese weapons, there was no noticeable Chinese support during the operation.

On tri-services coordination, the Admiral said the top leadership of all three forces was on the same page throughout Operation Sindoor.

The Admiral also noted that 51 ships were currently under construction at Indian shipyards, and another 47 had been approved by the Ministry of Defence.

Responding to reports about Chinese research vessels in the Indian Ocean, he said the Navy was fully aware of all activities and vessel movements in the region. “There is no need for concern, but we are fully aware,” he said.

The Navy Chief also released the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025, the Navy’s apex guidance document. First published in 2004 and revised in 2009 with minor updates in 2015, the 2025 edition reflects major shifts in India’s maritime environment and strategic outlook. It highlights growing multi-domain threats, diverse actors, rapid technological change and incorporates lessons on grey-zone, hybrid and irregular warfare tactics employed by adversaries.