Arihant-class SSBN - News & Discussions

I don't know if it is the right exemple, but
For all you know the hulls may already be in the process of being fabricated. The go ahead was given in 2016 ,IIRC.
The new french SSN take 14 years between 1st metal cut and entry in service. Against a 10 years lead time intended...
And we are not specially noob on this market.
 
I don't think this is a right way to respond to a member.

Russians with immense experience took 20 years to complete first yasen class sub
India first studied nuclear submarines in 1970s, first nuclear submarine Charlie class was taken on lease in 1986-89, detailed design for SSN was completed during late1990s with a lot of Russian inputs and then converted it into ad-hoc SSBN which we better know as INS Arihant. And now we're in much better position to deliver next generation SSBNs within 6yrs if need be.
What was lacking was political will to take on P5s to accommodate/shove/push ourselves on their table whether they like it or not, which we did with Arihant, so now it should be smooth sailing..😊
 
  • Like
Reactions: Killbot
I don't know if it is the right exemple, but

The new french SSN take 14 years between 1st metal cut and entry in service. Against a 10 years lead time intended...
And we are not specially noob on this market.
I doubt the manufacturing itself for your SSNs should take that long unless the detailed design & engineering is incomplete. In India's case the designs per se are ready in that it's based on a proven Russian design. Moreover , as @lcafanboy put it the current class of SSBNs were actually based on an SSN design which required to be modified to convert it into a mini experimental SSBN cum prototype cum training model for future SSBNs ( & possibly SSNs) .

Theoretically, the only stumbling block remains it's power plant which has to be more than the ones in use on the current Arihant class.
 
I doubt the manufacturing itself for your SSNs should take that long unless the detailed design & engineering is incomplete. In India's case the designs per se are ready in that it's based on a proven Russian design. Moreover , as @lcafanboy put it the current class of SSBNs were actually based on an SSN design which required to be modified to convert it into a mini experimental SSBN cum prototype cum training model for future SSBNs ( & possibly SSNs) .

Theoretically, the only stumbling block remains it's power plant which has to be more than the ones in use on the current Arihant class.
We now already have 150mw submarine reactor, up from 90mw what we used in ins Arihant. INS chakra 2 aka nerpa uses 190mw for 8000ton displacement submarine. While we are targeting a 6000ton displacement submarines same as Arihant for SSN. So 150mw reactor is pretty much decent for our SSNs. So All the building blocks are available for SSNs. Don't be surprised if SSNs and next generation SSBNs start coming together simultaneously from different production facilities. Larsen & Tubro is manufacturing modules at hazira in Gujarat. Last I heard they delivered 4th hull way back in 2013. So how many more delivered till now and how many SSBNs we now have, no one knows....😊😊
 
We now already have 150mw submarine reactor, up from 90mw what we used in ins Arihant. INS chakra 2 aka nerpa uses 190mw for 8000ton displacement submarine. While we are targeting a 6000ton displacement submarines same as Arihant for SSN. So 150mw reactor is pretty much decent for our SSNs. So All the building blocks are available for SSNs. Don't be surprised if SSNs and next generation SSBNs start coming together simultaneously from different production facilities. Larsen & Tubro is manufacturing modules at hazira in Gujarat. Last I heard they delivered 4th hull way back in 2013. So how many more delivered till now and how many SSBNs we now have, no one knows....😊😊
Any confirmation for the 150 MW power plant? Wasn't it under development? At least that was the story up until 2016 or '17
 
  • Like
Reactions: Killbot
For all you know the hulls may already be in the process of being fabricated. The go ahead was given in 2016 ,IIRC.
Yes. That's correct. The news is that they will use the same reactor as that of Arihant and the displacement of the SSN will be the same as of Arihant. That said, I don't know if there will be a major difference in the design of a SSBN Vs SSN other than the missiles / torpedo tubes. If there is not a big design change, it shouldn't take more than 6 years to induct since we have the learning curve well behind us with 2 SSBN already built. I also believe that any design changes / process improvements that goes with S4 & S4* will be incorporated into the SSN fleet as well. Then comes the million dollar question. When we can design & build (with obvious help from Russians) SSBN's and SSN's, why not a desi design for our SSK's.
 

Informative High Quality Article by PKS.
Point to be noted is we're still using fission based or boosted fission warheads. Means either we've not mastered thermo nuclear weapons or we'd require a few tests to validate the design before we deploy them
 
Point to be noted is we're still using fission based or boosted fission warheads. Means either we've not mastered thermo nuclear weapons or we'd require a few tests to validate the design before we deploy them
are you sure? I was sure you were mastering thermo nuclear device.
And what about Pak ?
 
are you sure? I was sure you were mastering thermo nuclear device.
And what about Pak ?
No definite answers here. Only guesstimates. I'm sure we have a few designs. Just that we won't productionise it unless we are damn sure it's a workable model. For which we need tests.

Pakistan doesn't have any thermonuclear devices.
 
IMG-20201218-WA0011.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: RISING SUN

It seems the Navy's new SSBN is nearly complete & should be ready to launch soon. INS Arighat, 2nd submarine of the Arihant class SSBNs, should be already in sea trials by now. Could this be the "S4", the 3rd SSBN ? It does appear a bit bigger/fatter than the Arihant. The first 2 subs of the class (INS Arihant & INS Arighat) have a surfaced displacement of 6000 tons. The next 2 subs (codenamed S4 & S4*) would be 7000 tons.

I guess the best evidence to confirm it is really the S4 would be when it opens the silos. S4 would have double the number of silos than the firsts two subs.

Here is a pictorial journey of the supposed S4's construction :
March 2019 :
e5e9824ddced487fb2e3c334f42b570a16877dad_ac72faac103b6398df233bc6e6170efa2298299a_twitter.jpg


June 2020 :
e71364ce6a61039403c9c52b5f7b84d6.original.png


May 2020 :
84c69649051bf5d1eea3795a3cc90acb.original.png


Feb 2021 (latest) :
3d2c00ca104262786d34a3b970927f2c5cfeeaaf_6710dd2b9522f06cb50fb173b819c22f80cc56de_twitter.jpg


Oh and here is INS Arihant :
Screenshot (333).png


Wasn't there a name floated a few years back "INS Aridhaman" ? Not sure I spelled that right. Is that the name for the S4 ?
 
Last edited:
It seems the Navy's new SSBN is nearly complete & should be ready to launch soon. INS Arighat, 2nd submarine of the Arihant class SSBNs, should be already in sea trials by now. Could this be the "S4", the 3rd SSBN ? It does appear a bit bigger/fatter than the Arihant. The first 2 subs of the class (INS Arihant & INS Arighat) have a surfaced displacement of 6000 tons. The next 2 subs (codenamed S4 & S4*) would be 7000 tons.

I guess the best evidence to confirm it is really the S4 would be when it opens the silos. S4 would have double the number of silos than the firsts two subs.

Here is a pictorial journey of the supposed S4's construction :
March 2019 :
View attachment 19387

June 2020 :
View attachment 19385

May 2020 :
View attachment 19384

Feb 2021 (latest) :
View attachment 19386

Oh and here is INS Arihant :
View attachment 19388

Wasn't there a name floated a few years back "INS Aridhaman" ? Not sure I spelled that right. Is that the name for the S4 ?
The Aridaman was supposed to be second SSBN. However, the second sub was named as Arighat.