Practice Makes Deterrence: India’s Next Nuclear Challenge at Sea

When India’s third ballistic missile-carrying, nuclear-powered submarine — the INS Aridhaman — entered service on April 3, 2026, it marked a milestone decades in the making.With three boomers, India can now reliably always maintain at least one on deterrent patrol, thus completing the sea leg of its nuclear deterrent. Earlier, India successfully tested the capability to deploy multiple independently targetable warheads from a single missile. If it integrates multiple warheads into its sea-launched ballistic missiles, India further ensures it can cause unacceptable damage to an aggressor in response to an initial nuclear strike. With these capabilities, India now has the

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