India's Nuclear Capable 'Arihant' Submarine Test-fires Unarmed Missile

India's first home-made nuclear-powered nuclear attack submarine, Arihant, has test fired a dummy missile on Wednesday.

The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which is tasked with creating nuclear deterrence, has test fired -unarmed missile from a faraway location, local media reported Thursday.

The submarine has also completed its critical diving tests, and has also met nearly all its design and designated parameters just about 100 per cent, including the maximum possible power option tests. 

The final step, however, before the submarine is inducted into the navy is to fire the proper missiles albeit with unarmed warheads. The test fired missile was a dummy version of DRDO's B 5, which approximately has a range of 800 km to 1,000 km. Later, missiles with a reach of 3,500 km to 4,000 km are likely to be inducted on-board. 

India has also considered building some half-a-dozen Arihant class submaries in line. Like any submarine, both Arihant and INS Chakra are pearl shaped to accommodate the vertically launched missiles, and designed to move faster underwater than on the surface. They can stay deep in the darkness of the oceans for months on the condition of nuclear fuel availability.

Arihant, which is constructed with Russian designs, will be India’s first nuclear attack submarine, classified in international naval lingo as SSBN.