India Test Fires Ballistic Missile From Nuke Submarine INS Arihant

India’s strategic strike submarine INS Arihant carried out successful launch of a ballistic missile on Friday, the defence ministry said.

The missile was tested to a predetermined range and it impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with high accuracy, validating all operational and technological parameters, it said.

“The successful user training launch of the SLBM (submarine launched ballistic missile) by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability,” the ministry said.

“A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment,” it said in a statement.