“From Arihant to Aridaman: How India’s nuclear bite gets sharper underwater”, First Post, April 06, 2026
“In the fathomless deep, where sunlight yields to eternal night, a spectral prowler stirs—largely unseen and mostly untraceable, the embodiment of stealth’s quiet menace.
India’s newest guardian of the abyss, INS Aridaman, slips into service characteristically without fanfare at Visakhapatnam. Larger and deadlier than its forebears, this Arihant-class submarine lends ironclad credibility to India’s nuclear triad, seamlessly reinforcing a no-first-use doctrine that prioritises retribution over rashness.
Triad’s Silent Legature
For years, India’s nuclear posture rested uneasily on two legs: land-based Agni missiles and aircraft like Mirage 2000s, Rafales or Sukhoi 30s, glaringly assailable in a first strike. The sea-based third pillar, vital for survivability, was embryonic—INS Arihant (2016) and INS Arighat (2024) offered their four launch tubes a tentative nod to deterrence. Aridaman changes the calculus…..”
Read full article at firstpost.com
