India launched its first nuclear powered submarine in a ceremony in southern port city of Vishakhapatnam on Sunday the 26th July 2009, getting in the league of just six nations in the world to have successfully built one.
Indian military officials said the submarine would be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, however Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who attended the ceremony, said that the it was not built to threaten India’s neighbors.
The 367-foot Arihant, which means “destroyer of enemies” in Hindi, is part of a broad effort by the Indian government to create a military strength that matches India’s rising global stature.
The Arihant is the product of Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. It is part of India's $3 billion plan to build five submarines and complete what it calls a "triad" of nuclear weapon launch capability - from air, land and sea. India is concurrently developing the K-15 ballistic missile, which can be nuclear-tipped and launched from submarines.
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