NEW DELHI – India has bolstered its second strike capability byoperationalising submarine-launched nuclear and conventional missiles whichcan hit targets over 700 kilometres away. But with Indian Navy’s nuclearsubmarine INS Arihant getting the K-15 Sagarika (B05) nuclear-tippedmissiles in its arsenal, the country has joined a select club.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the formal announcement about thesame during the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) awardceremony in New Delhi on Monday. Sitharaman felicitated the two scientistsA Joseph and M Ugender Reddy, who headed the team that developed theSagarika nuclear missile and its land-based versions. INS Arihant and itssister submarines will carry the K-15 Sagarika missiles to give India theoption of launching a counterattack in the event of a nuclear strike.

The citation of the award presented to Joseph and Reddy read, “It is anindigenous missile with several innovative designs and a unique mechanism.Numerous critical technologies were proved in the successful trials, whichpaved the way for developing other long-range strategic missiles and hasthe potential to be launched from submarine, ship, and land.”

The 10.22-metre long solid-fuelled K-15 missile was tested for the firsttime from an underwater pontoon, mimicking a submarine completely submergedin water off the Visakhapatnan coast in January 2013.

INS Arihant is India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine and was inductedinto the Navy in October 2016. It is the first warship of the Arihant-classof nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and is based on the deadlyRussian Akula-1 class submarines.