India has quietly launched its fourth domestically built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, code-named S-4*, which is capable of launching nuclear missiles. The country’s first indigenous SSBN was launched in 2009 and commissioned in 2016. On August 29, 2024, the Indian Navy added its second SSBN, INS Arighaat. The third, INS Aridhaman, is expected to join the fleet in 2025, marking the full operationalization of India’s second-strike nuclear capability. INS Aridhaman carries K-4 missiles with a 3,500 km range.
