A Great Equalizer? In July India launched its long-awaited
nuclear-powered submarine, Arihant ("destroyer of enemies"),
formerly the more-or-less secret Advanced Technology Vehicle.
Her main weapon, the Sagarika medium-rangemissile, had already
been tested from a submersible barge and pronounced mature. Work
on a nuclear-powered submarine began in 1974, and reportedly the
reactor design began in 1985. The hull was fabricated in eight
sections by Larsen & Toubro, which makes many Indian weapon
launchers (and built the barge for the submerged missile
firing); it was assembled at the Visakhapatnam naval dockyard.
This is a large submarine, reportedly displacing 9,400 tons
submerged (124 meters long), perhaps to provide sufficient
buoyancy for a reactor that may weigh 600 tons. The Indians had
previously leased the Soviet Charlie-class missile submarine
Chakra to gain nuclear experience, and used Russian technical
assistance to overcome some problems. The submarine was laid
down during 2007 and is to run trials i