Naval Platforms, Submarines & Aircraft Carriers
India's maritime defence capability relies on high-end surface combatants and underwater deterrence platforms to secure sea lines of communication and project power across the Indo-Pacific. Naval air wings operate from two STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) aircraft carriers: the refurbished INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously designed and constructed INS Vikrant, commissioned in September 2022 at Cochin Shipyard Limited. The underwater fleet comprises conventional diesel-electric attack submarines built under Project-75 (Kalvari-class Scorpene design) at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, equipped with anti-ship missiles and wire-guided torpedoes. Most critically, India's sea-based nuclear deterrence is operationalised through nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), led by INS Arihant and INS Arighat, armed with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) like the K-15 Sagarika and K-4.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- INS Vikrant, commissioned in September 2022, is India's first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier.
- INS Arihant is India's first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), commissioned in 2016.
- Project-75 resulted in the construction of six Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarines at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
- Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) K-15 Sagarika provides INS Arihant with an underwater nuclear deterrence strike range of 750 km.