India as a nuclear Triad

India commission INS Arihant in 2008,India completed the nuclear triad. Nuclear triad means capability of a state to launch a nuclear offensive from air, land and water (triad). The Indian Army has nuclear arsenal of ICBM category which ranges from Agni, Prithvi to Shaurya missiles. The Force uses Sukhoi-03 MKI, Jaguar and Rafale (once inducted later) for carrying nuclear weapons. Te Indian Navy has commissioned INS Arihant, designed on Russian Akula-1 class model, called as Shin Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN). India is the sixth country in the world (after permanent five members of the UNSC) to acquire the triad capability. By 2022, a fleet of four submarines named INS Arighat will join the fleet of Arihant.

                              Ins Arihant

However, there is a debate about the deterrence capability of INS Arihant. The government has not released any data, but as per various reports, there is a K-15 missile with a range of 750 km on board. If this is the case, then using it against China or Pakistan does not make sense as in such a short range, it needs to be deployed very close to their waters, making SSBN a target. A report says that India is developing a 3,500-km-range K4 missile, but Arihant does not have capability to carry it. India would need S4 and S-5 SSBN for K4 (3,500 km range) missile. The INS Arihant was developed by India in response to the Chinese nuclear-powered Jin class (JL-2 missiles) submarines. They have been visiting the Indian Ocean on the pretext of anti-piracy operations, raising alarm bells in India. Arihant will now sharpen the competition between powers in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan will seek Chinese help to build submarines. Coupled with Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, revival of the Quad of Democracies, it will only affect regional strategic stability and engender security dilemma. In complete absence of a nuclear level confidence building measures between India, China and Pakistan, it will only complicate the problem of strategic stability in the future.

It is important to remember that the INS Arihant has assured that India now possess a second strike capability (as t is impregnable against adversaries missile attack) and its development and induction has successfully ensured that it has followed what it stated in its nuclear doctrine, that is, build credible nuclear deterrent. It has finally ended the nuclear blackmail India is subjected to by its adversaries. The success of induction of Arihant signifies Indian mastery of complex systems and procedures that are entailed in operating a sea leg of the triad. The triad is a testimony to the technological prowess of India.

The main advantage of a nuclear-powered submarine, in contrast to a diesel-powered submarine, is that SSBN does not require battery charges and can operate underwater for a long period of time. If during a nuclear strike the adversary decapitates the air and land forces, then SSBN can be the opportunity of the last resort. The issue in Arihant is that the crew in the submarine is given the responsibility of the weapons on board with powers to launch them at a short notice if needed, which according to some weakens the civilian control of nuclear weapons in India. The Indian SSBN is designed with electronic switches called 'permissive action links', but still the ambiguity remains. However, it is important to remember that India remains committed to a verifiable, global, non-discriminatory disarmament and a nuclear weapons-free world. But, till the time nuclear weapons remain in the world, India will continue to use its deterrent capabilities for 'credible deterrence'. It is true that large military and nuclear capabilities cannot bequeath India with a tag of a 'Great Power', but a grand strategic vision that amalgamates military power with a doctrine of national security can advance its march towards such a status certainly.