India yesterday joined a select group of countries with the launch of its first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said New Delhi does not have any aggressive design but asserted "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
The submarine, the first of five planned, is powered by an 85-megawatt nuclear reactor and can reach 44 kilometres an hour (24 knots) underwater, according to defence officials.
It will be armed with torpedoes and ballistic missiles, and carry a crew of 95 men.
The INS Arihant will be commissioned in the Indian Navy after extensive outfitting and sea trials. It is the first of three such vessels to be built in the country and marks a quantum leap in India's shipbuilding capabilities.
The launch of INS Arihant is a major step towards India's building an effective response to a possible nuclear attack by giving the country the ability to launch atomic weapons from land, air and from under the sea.
Speaking at the launch of the submarine christened INS Arihant at Visakhapatnam, Singh said the event is a "historic milestone in the country's defence preparedness and a reflection of the immense technical expertise that exists in our country and the strength of our research and development organisations."
"More importantly, the launch represents the determination and patriotism of our technologists, scientists and defence personnel who have overcome several hurdles and barriers to enable the country to acquire self-reliance in the most advanced areas of defence technology," he said.
He said for India "to develop its first nuclear submarine is a special achievement. Today we join a select group of five nations who possess the capability to build a nuclear powered submarine."
Only the US, Russia, China, France and Britain have indigenously-developed nuclear submarines.
The prime minister took the opportunity to express "appreciation to our Russian friends for their consistent and invaluable cooperation which symbolises the close strategic partnership that we enjoy with Russia."
Singh said the sea is increasingly becoming relevant in the context of India's security interests and "we must re-adjust our military preparedness to this changing environment. Our Navy has a huge responsibility in this regard."
The prime minister said "we do not have any aggressive designs nor do we seek to threaten anyone."
"We seek an external environment in our region and beyond that is conducive to our peaceful development and the protection of our value systems."
"Nevertheless", he added, "it is incumbent upon us to take all measures necessary to safeguard our country and to keep pace with technological advancements worldwide. It has rightly been said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
Besides the prime minister, the ceremony to launch the indigenously-developed nuclear submarine was attended by Defence Minister AK Antony and Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta.
However, it will take two to three years before the submarine, powered by an indigenous reactor built by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is inducted into the Indian Navy.