India produces latest submarine with 75% local parts
India has taken a bold step towards strengthening its nuclear deterrence capabilities with the production of its latest submarine.
Codenamed s4, the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) was produced with 75 percent locally-sourced materials.
The S4, the fourth in India’s SSB is equipped with K-4 nuclear ballistic missiles, capable of hitting targets up to 3,500 km away.
This is a massive improvement on the previous INS Arihant, which has K-15 missiles and can only hit within a range of 750km.
The INS Arighaat was launched in August 2024 after INS Arihant, both of which are currently on deep-sea patrols.
Another, Aridhaman is expected to be launched in 2025.
Local reports indicate that India’s government is focusing on expanding its SSBN fleet which operates in deep-sea patrols as part of the country's strategic defense in the Indo-Pacific region.
Government is focusing more on submarines over aircraft carriers over concerns that the latter is vulnerable to long-range missiles particularly from Ghana, local news reports suggest.
