<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">On October 14, the Narendra Modi government quietly announced the successful launch of Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) from India’s first sub-surface ballistic nuclear (SSBN) INS Arihant.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The firing of an undisclosed name and range nuclear ballistic missile—India has a 750 km range K15 and 3500 km range K-4—from the nuclear powered and armed submarine in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean was done by the Strategic Force Command and was attended by Commander-in-Chief of the command Vice Admiral R B Pandit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A day later, the Western Naval Command announced the return of the latest Kalveri Class diesel attack missile firing submarine INS Vela from an eight-and-a-half month deployment from its base port The Twitter handle of Western Naval Command said that the submarine recorded many achievements through her sustained operations at sea and completed an extremely successful mission-based deployment across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two statements are mutually exclusive but clubbed together, they are a part of deterrent messaging to China and Pakistan. With China threatening to use underwater drones against aircraft carriers in the Indo-Pacific and send its own aircraft carriers in the comings months to the Indian Ocean, the operationalization of the SLBM is clearly a message to PLA Navy that India has both the capacity and capability to counter any threat in the Indian Ocean and beyond.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is also a message to allies of China like Sri Lanka, which has given the Hambantota Port on lease to Beijing for 99 years by this very President of the Island Nation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the nuclear assets of India are highly classified, there are indications that India’s second SSBN INS Arighat will be commissioned later this year with the third one INS Aridhaman being fitted out before sea trials. India has also the capacity to roll out the 5000 km K-5 missile the moment the Modi government gives approval.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Arihant and Arighat range are limited only to food and crew changer over and both have the capacity to defend Indiia’s national interest in the Indo-Pacific. While the DRDO has tested both the K-15 and K-4 missiles, the October 14 firing by SFC was the announcement of operationalization of the weapon system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“ The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency (to fire the missile) and validate the SSBN program.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A robust, survivable, and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have a credible minimum deterrence that underpins its No First Use commitment,” the defence ministry press release said. HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>