India is advancing in its quest for military independence. The Ministry of Defense announced that it successfully fired a ballistic missile from an Indian-made nuclear-powered submarine on Friday, October 14.
This test of “nuclear deterrent capability” makes India one of six countries in the world – along with the US, Russia, China, France and the UK – with nuclear strike and counterattack capabilities on land, sea and in the air.
The ballistic missile test, from a submarine built by New Delhi, underlines the progress of India towards the manufacture of its own military equipment. The Asian giant is indeed one of the largest arms importers in the world, and it still depends heavily on Moscow, its largest and oldest supplier of military equipment, for decades.
A “homemade” aircraft carrier
The shot was “important to prove the competence of the crew” and ” to validate “ the ballistic missile nuclear submarine program (SNLE), “a key component of India’s nuclear deterrent capability”the Ministry of Defense said in its statement. “All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system” fired from the INS Arihant submarine in the Bay of Bengal “have been exceeded”he added.
India has fought wars and has long-standing border disputes with its nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and China. Narendra Modi’s government recently unveiled the first batch of Indian-made attack helicopters, designed for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas, where its troops clashed with Chinese military forces in 2020.
And in September, the country launched its first “home-made” aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, a milestone in its efforts to counter China’s growing military assertiveness in the region. INS Vikrant, which entered service after 17 years of construction and testing, is at 262 meters one of the largest warships in the world.