Arihant-class SSBN - News & Discussions

[South block]

So as It turns out this is most likely a S4 submarine model and not a S5 model like people had suspected for so long leaving the hump backed one is the only publically know design of S5
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If S5 going to have a hump, I swear I am going to be very very p***d

 

[Parthu]

So as It turns out this is most likely a S4 submarine model and not a S5 model like people had suspected for so long leaving the hump backed one is the only publically know design of S5
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Arihant's hump (same general bulkheads will be used on S4/4* as well) is streamlined, but not this streamlined. There will be a very visible taper once the missile compartment ends and the power/propulsion compartment begins:



...followed by a further taper as you go toward the stern. Two distinct taper points. Here I've marked them for a side-on reference although the photo above shows it much better:



HI Sutton's cutaway is a useful reference to show what I mean i.e. the reactor compartment will be a distinct module that sits behind the missile compartment:



What happens in the S4/4* is that we added a further 4-tube 'plug' behind the current missile compartment, so the reactor compartment (and the machinery rooms behind it) should just get pushed further away, not that the missile compartment starts eating into the space of the reactor. So that first taper should still be there, just further away from the tower is all.

But in the hydrodynamic model, the first taper is totally non-existent. That would only be possible if the bulkhead that contains the reactor/propulsion compartment is the same dimensions as the missile compartment. I don't see a reason why they would go and do that for the S4/S4*, when it's clearly not the case for the S2/S3. Unless they're implementing something new like a NEP, which might necessitate enlarging that bulkhead over the proven config from the first two boats.

Satellite images can be quite deceptive, so best not to rely on them alone for this sort of analysis. Here you can see the S4 beside one of the shorter Arihants, the sat image makes it seem like even the shorter Arihant only has one taper, when we clearly know that's not the case:

 

[Fatalis]

India’s twin submarine dilemma

Two crucial pieces of the puzzle — a nuclear-powered attack submarine and an indigenously designed and built conventional submarine — have been missing from Indian Navy's force structure.

www.indiatoday.in

 

[Krisraj]

Regarding the nuclear reactors of some of the world current & next SSBNs :

• US : current Ohio class 220 MW --> next Columbia class, found info like 220 or +300 MW
• UK : Vanguard class 145MW --> next Dreadnought, 210 MW
• French : current Triomphant class, 150 MW --> Invicible class, should be K22 reactor (220 or 225 MW) developed for the next French aircraft carrier
  • Regarding the Indian S5, it should be 200 MW ... But BARC has developed the BSMR (smalll module reactor) of 220MW... Could it be possible that the real power of S5 nuclear reactor is about 220 MW ?

 

[Crimson Fox]

Battries for INS Arihant from Exide


Port & Starboard Turbine for INS Arihant, INS Arighat, S4 & S4* by Triveni Turbine Ltd

There are a lot more nuggets of information here
Indian Naval & Marine Industry - A Capability Catalogue

https://www.ddpmod.gov.in/sites/default/files/9c17ad990fe20e421a79be7bbe5a8c848cc33b38e18338d3fc49fb2e1ad6d7a4/eea21359c976d0b0347384f1f96594b76b0c571d815abad940903b5516a55772.pdf

Publications | DDPMoD

Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India

www.ddpmod.gov.in