India
oi-Ashish Rana
India
has
taken
another
step
in
strengthening
its
sea-based
nuclear
deterrence
with
the
successful
test
of
the
K-4
submarine-launched
ballistic
missile,
capable
of
striking
targets
up
to
3,500
km
away.
Test
Nuclear
Missile
India
successfully
tested
the
K-4
submarine-launched
ballistic
missile
from
the
nuclear-powered
submarine
INS
Arighaat
in
the
Bay
of
Bengal,
marking
a
milestone
in
its
strategic
weapons
program
and
enhancing
its
second-strike
capability.
Developed
by
the
Defence
Research
and
Development
Organisation,
the
K-4
has
a
range
of
3,500
km
and
is
designed
for
deployment
from
nuclear
submarines.
The
missile
was
launched
from
a
nuclear-powered
submarine
in
the
Bay
of
Bengal,
marking
a
key
milestone
in
India’s
strategic
weapons
programme.
K-4
Missile
Test
Conducted
From
INS
Arighaat
Defence
sources
confirmed
that
the
K-4
missile
was
test-fired
from
INS
Arighaat
off
the
coast
of
Visakhapatnam.
The
launch
was
carried
out
under
the
operational
command
of
the
Strategic
Forces
Command.
While
the
test
was
described
as
successful,
the
Ministry
of
Defence
did
not
issue
an
official
statement
on
the
exercise.
Second
Successful
Launch
Moves
Missile
Closer
to
Induction
This
was
the
second
confirmed
test
of
the
K-4
missile,
following
an
earlier
launch
conducted
last
year
from
the
same
submarine.
The
repeated
trials
indicate
that
the
missile
system
is
nearing
full
operational
readiness.
Developed
by
the
Defence
Research
and
Development
Organisation,
the
solid-fuel
K-4
is
designed
specifically
to
be
deployed
from
India’s
nuclear-powered
submarines,
significantly
enhancing
the
country’s
second-strike
capability.
INS
Arighaat
Strengthens
India’s
Nuclear
Deterrence
Commissioned
into
the
Indian
Navy
in
August
2024,
INS
Arighaat
is
India’s
latest
nuclear-powered
submarine
with
a
displacement
of
around
6,000
tonnes.
The
platform
is
capable
of
carrying
K-4
missiles
with
a
3,500
km
range,
providing
far
greater
reach
compared
to
earlier
systems.
India’s
first
nuclear
submarine,
INS
Arihant,
commissioned
in
2016,
was
armed
with
K-15
missiles
that
had
a
much
shorter
range
of
about
750
km.
Part
of
India’s
Push
to
Match
Global
SLBM
Capabilities
Earlier
tests
of
the
K-4
missile
were
conducted
from
submersible
pontoons,
but
launches
from
an
operational
submarine
represent
a
major
leap
towards
deployment.
Major
powers
such
as
the
United
States,
Russia
and
China
already
operate
submarine-launched
ballistic
missiles
with
ranges
exceeding
5,000
km.
In
this
context,
the
K-4
programme
is
viewed
as
a
crucial
element
of
India’s
effort
to
build
a
credible
and
survivable
nuclear
deterrent
at
sea.
