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Work on second nuclear sub reactor begins

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As the first indigenous nuclear submarine Arihant is getting ready for sea voyage, work has begun inside a closely guarded naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam for the “assembly” of another nuclear reactor to propel the second N-powered submarine.

“The assembling of the second reactor began a few months ago at Visakhapatnam and materials are being collected to make the third one,” sources familiar with the project told Deccan Herald. India plans to make three N-powered submarines with second strike capability in a secret project.

The pressure vessel for the second nuclear submarine is being manufactured by the Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd, Ranchi. There is, however, no official word on the second N-submarine.



Arihant is ready for sea trial as it has received approval from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Safety Council. Since strategic projects are outside the purview of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, it is the BARC Safety Council that gives regulatory approvals.

“Arihant’s 85 MW light water reactor that runs on enriched Uranium fuel is ready. The reactor has so far operated only 30-40 per cent of its capacity because it is at shore. It will function on full power when it goes to the high seas. The Navy is now making preparations for the sea trial, which involves making other arrangements,” sources said.

In April, when Navy chief Admiral R K Dhowan visited the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam he said Arihant was in the final phase of its harbour trials and would shortly be put to sea. Since then eight months have passed without a word on the Arihant from the Navy.

The indigenous SSBN was released to water in July, 2009 in the presence of then prime minister Manmohan Singh. It underwent extensive harbour acceptance trials and the 104 mt long and 6,000 tonnes nuclear reactor became critical in August 2013.

The boat is to be fitted with B05 (K-15) submarine launched ballistic missile, which was tested successfully from an under-water pontoon off Visakhapatnam in January 2013, showcasing the missile’s ability to break waters.

Meanwhile, nuclear scientists have readied the second core of Arihant that attained criticality – commencement of the nuclear chain reaction signifying energy production – on October 11, 2013 at a facility known as P4 inside BARC.

The new core could be used in Arihant after 7-8 years of service or may be used in the second submarine, if the reactor has the same capacity, sources said, without disclosing the power output of the second reactor, which is being assembled.

Work on second n­uclear sub reactor begins
 
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Arihant_3.jpg

INS Aridhaman

INS Aridhaman has a pretty advanced armaments capability than INS Arihant! - It can carry double the missiles carried by INS Arihant - 24 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 8 × K-4 SLBM (Under development) (3500 km or 1890 km range) and has 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est. 30 charges (torpedoes, missiles or mines). INS Arihant carries 6 x 533mm torpedoes and 12 x K-15 Sagarika SLBM or 4 x K-4.​
 
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Arihant_3.jpg

INS Aridhaman

INS Aridhaman has a pretty advanced armaments capability than INS Arihant! - It can carry double the missiles carried by INS Arihant - 24 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 8 × K-4 SLBM (Under development) (3500 km or 1890 km range) and has 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est. 30 charges (torpedoes, missiles or mines). INS Arihant carries 6 x 533mm torpedoes and 12 x K-15 Sagarika SLBM or 4 x K-4.​
If second is like this then what will third be like?
 
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Arihant_3.jpg

INS Aridhaman

INS Aridhaman has a pretty advanced armaments capability than INS Arihant! - It can carry double the missiles carried by INS Arihant - 24 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 8 × K-4 SLBM (Under development) (3500 km or 1890 km range) and has 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est. 30 charges (torpedoes, missiles or mines). INS Arihant carries 6 x 533mm torpedoes and 12 x K-15 Sagarika SLBM or 4 x K-4.​
Am finding difficult to understand the te difference between Arihant and a Aridhaman . Is it bigger than Arihant and ins chakra ? How it can carry so much more load ?
Can we drive non nuclear or nuclear attack submarine for guarding our s oast line ?
Am concerned
 
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If second is like this then what will third be like?

No one knows mate! Out of all the defence projects ever pursued by India - the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project is the most covert one! Unlike other projects we have very little info available on Arihant Class Nuclear Submarines in public domain. Damn even after 5 years of being launched we have just 3 images of INS Arihant made public! BTW there is no info on ATV-3 right now - not even a CGI but yes as they all belong to the same class - the third one will be similar in design with the first and second one.

They are too slow as usual!

Dude developing a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine is not a piece of cake! As a matter of fact INS Arihant is the first ballistic missile submarine to have been built by a country other than one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. We built the first nuclear reactor with significant inputs from the Russians but the second one is being built all by ourself only - it will take time as after the INS Sindhurakshak incident the Navy is having a set of stringent safety audits to curb such accidents.

Am finding difficult to understand the te difference between Arihant and a Aridhaman . Is it bigger than Arihant and ins chakra ? How it can carry so much more load ?
Can we drive non nuclear or nuclear attack submarine for guarding our s oast line ?
Am concerned

No the design and displacement is the same - but INS Aridhaman has more silos than INS Arihant - A total capacity (mines, torpedoes, and missiles) of 30 weapons.

Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV)
India to achieve N-arm triad in February - The Times of India
 
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Arihant_3.jpg

INS Aridhaman

INS Aridhaman has a pretty advanced armaments capability than INS Arihant! - It can carry double the missiles carried by INS Arihant - 24 × K15 SLBM (750–1900 km or 405–1026 mi range) or 8 × K-4 SLBM (Under development) (3500 km or 1890 km range) and has 6 × 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes – est. 30 charges (torpedoes, missiles or mines). INS Arihant carries 6 x 533mm torpedoes and 12 x K-15 Sagarika SLBM or 4 x K-4.​
Please post a credible source for this claim.
 
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No the design and displacement is the same - but INS Aridhaman has more silos than INS Arihant - A total capacity (mines, torpedoes, and missiles) of 30 weapons.


How do they created the space from silo given the same size of Arihant? Did they compact something like reactor further? Will the reactor of Aridaman shall have more power? say in excess of 140 MW like INS chakra?
 
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How it is compared to ins chakra


Less powerful. Not fit for attack role but good for petrol. A3 SLBM may be in making for arihant class or aridaman class which may have 12 M dia compare to 10 m of Arihant to vertically launch the missile like A3 SLBM which will be of 12 M long.
 
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How it is compared to ins chakra
Both are of different class.Arihant is a SSBM that is it will be mainly used for second strike in case of a nuclear attack from Pakistan whereas INS Chakra is an attack submarine.Our technology is not yet matured to make nuclear powered attack submarimes.
 
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How do they created the space from silo given the same size of Arihant? Did they compact something like reactor further? Will the reactor of Aridaman shall have more power? say in excess of 140 MW like INS chakra?

ARIHANT likely to have testing equipments, tools, etc inside,
since nuclear reactor is involved, these may be in higher proportion
may even a diesel generators as back up..

ARidaman, shall have the designed weapons payload.
 
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