INS Aridhaman is India’s third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at Visakhapatnam

It is part of the Arihant class, following INS Arihant (commissioned 2016) and INS Arighaat (August 2024).

Aridhaman is an upgraded version of its predecessors, with greater capacity for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Technical specifications remain classified.

The submarine strengthens India’s nuclear triad — the ability to deliver nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea. The sea-based leg is considered the most survivable, backing India’s second-strike capability under its No First Use nuclear policy.

Features of INS Aridhaman

• INS Aridhaman is a 7,000-tonne nuclear-powered submarine equipped with eight vertical launch tubes, nearly double that of its predecessors. 
• This allows it to carry a larger number of nuclear-capable missiles.
• It is powered by upgraded nuclear reactors, enabling it to remain submerged for months without surfacing, significantly improving stealth and survivability.
• The submarine can deploy:
  • K-15 SLBMs with a range of over 700 km 
  • K-4 SLBMs with a range of around 3,500 km 
• This combination enhances India’s ability to strike targets at varying distances.
• India is also building a fourth SSBN, expected to be larger and capable of carrying more K-4 missiles, further strengthening the country’s sea-based nuclear deterrent.

With INS Aridaman’s induction, India will have three operational ballistic missile submarines at sea for the first time. The indigenous SSBN is designed to carry more long-range nuclear-tipped missiles than INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, which were commissioned in 2016 and 2024, respectively.

INS Aridaman will join its predecessors as a key component of India’s nuclear triad, which refers to a country’s ability to launch nuclear missiles from platforms in the air, land, and at sea. India is part of a select group of countries with nuclear triad capabilities. These include the United States, Russia and China.