India continues testing its military power as a new submarine launched a nuclear-capable missile on Wednesday, confirming New Delhi's second-strike capability to respond to a nuclear attack.
Citing defense sources, the Indian news agency ANI reported on Thursday that INS Arighaat, an Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine that was commissioned in August, fired a K-4 ballistic missile for testing. The missile is capable of striking targets over 2,100 miles away.
This was one of a number of weapon tests conducted by India in recent months. On November 16, the South Asian nation tested its first long-range hypersonic missile, capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound and maneuvering within the atmosphere during the flight to its target.
In September, the Indian military launched an Agni-4 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which validated all operational and technical parameters. It also tested a game-changing intercontinental ballistic missile, the Agni-5, in March, claiming it can carry multiple nuclear warheads.
The report said results of the test launch of the K-4 ballistic missile are being analyzed, after which briefings will be provided to India's top military and political leadership to assess its performance.
"The test is crucial for validating the country's second-strike capability," the report added, saying the Indian navy will carry out more tests for the K-4.
Newsweek has reached out to the Indian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Arihant-class submarines have four missile tubes, each of them capable of firing either one K-4 or three 434-mile-range K-15 ballistic missiles.
Should India come under a nuclear attack, its submarines could launch nuclear missiles in retaliation as they are hidden at sea. This second-strike capability, or guaranteed retaliation, constitutes a powerful deterrent to enemies.
While the report did not disclose the location of the missile test, an area warning issued prior to the launch suggested it was conducted in waters southeast of India in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Two no-fly zones were set up and were effective from Wednesday to Saturday.
The Indian navy currently operates two Arihant-class submarines, the Arighaat and its sister ship, INS Arihant, the lead ship of its class. ANI reported that the third submarine in this class, which is temporarily designated S4, has been launched and is expected to enter service next year.
India is one of nine countries armed with nuclear weapons, which also include neighboring China and Pakistan. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists estimated in a report that India likely has produced 172 nuclear warheads, of which 24 are assigned to its ballistic missile submarines.
The K-4 is capable of targeting "all of Pakistan and most of China" if it is fired from the northern Bay of Bengal, the report added. However, the short-range K-15 is only able to target southern Pakistan from the bay, and the submarines have to deploy to the South China Sea to strike China.
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