India’s Nuclear Powered Submarine To Undergo Missile Tests This Year

India’s nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant will undergo first underwater missile and deep diving tests this year.

“INS Arihant will go for deep sea diving this year and along with a series of tests, we would like to test B-05,” Director-General of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Secretary (Research and Development), S Christopher said to Indian media Thursday.

The submersible ballistic, nuclear (SSBN) submarine is capable of carrying medium range nuclear tipped missile ‘B-05’.

DRDO is also proposing to develop a new long range nuclear capable Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), ‘AGNI-VI’ with a range of 10,000 km to the government.

India has successfully tested a range of 5,000 km (Agni-V) and is capable of delivering a 1,000 kg payload in April this year.

“It’s at the thinking stage. We still do not have the sanction to make it but have the capability. We have to now present our case to the government explaining the need for such a missile,” Christopher said.

"We are capable of developing ICBM that can hit targets beyond the range of 10,000 kms," Chairman of Armament Research Board, DRDO, S K Salwan had said on the sidelines of 6th National Conference themed 'Emerging Vistas of Technology in 21st Century' in April this year.

DRDO first made the plans for Agni VI public in a newsletter published in May 2011.

It is widely expected to be a four-stage ICBM with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) and a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV) capability.