Induction of indigenous nuke sub into Navy longway off:Experts

Vishakapatnam, July 26 (PTI) India's first indigenously
built nuclear-powered submarine launched on Sunday will take
much longer than the projected two years to become
operational, according to naval experts, who say the real big
test now is to ensure that the on-board reactor attains
criticality.

Noting there is still lots left to do, the experts said
scientists had a onerous task to see that the on-board nuclear
reactor--the heart of the submarine--attains criticality
without any hitches.

Naval officials said INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies)
codenamed Advanced Technology Vessel(ATV) will undergo two
years of sea trials in the Bay of Bengal after which they hope
to see the submarine commissioned for full service.

"It is little optimistic only for one reasons because it
the first of its class. In the first of the class there are a
large number of checks to be carried out. It could take much
longer time frame than the two years being projected(for INS
Arihant)," said Vice Admiral A K Singh(retd) former Captain of
INS Chakra, the Charlie-class nuclear submarine.

The second ATV or the third ATV will definitely come out
much faster, Singh said.

C Uday Bhaskar, Director, National Maritime Foundation,
said, "I don't think we should overinterpret the capability
of the Arihant at this stage because there are many more
complex technological steps before the particular nuclear
reactor on the Arihant acquires criticality."

Bhaskar said hopefully three to five years down the road
India would be a credible naval power because the country
would then have the capability to fit the submarine with
nuclear propulsion.

Former naval chief Admiral(retd) Arun Prakash said a lot
of work lies ahead for the country's scientists and engineers.
"The big day will however come when the nuclear reactor
attains criticality," he said.

Admira(retd) Arun Prakash said painstaking series of
trials are necessary because even a minor malfunction can
cause catastrophic results as the Kursk (Russian Submarine)
accident showed.

"They will also be long drawn-out and time-consuming
because each defect that appears will beed to be carefully
analysed and rectified," he said.

Experts also said the state-owned Defence Research
and Development Organization (DRDO) could take two to three
years to indigenously develop cruise and ballistic missiles
which can be fired from the submarine. PTI GSN
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