The veil was lifted off the hitherto
secretive K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), when a team
of scientists from the Defense Research and Development Laboratory
(DRDL), Hyderabad, was presented a special award for the design and
development of the K-4 missile.
The range of this missile is over
3,500 kilometers, and it will be for the foreseeable future India's
principal weapon of deterrence which can be fired from under the sea.
The K-series of missiles has been nomenclatured after former chief of
the DRDO and a popular President of India A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, and will
arm the Arihant class nuclear submarines (SSBN).
TheAt the event, DRDO Director-General
S.Christopher also made an important declaration of intent that the
Arihant will be inducted for operational deterrence patrol in 2015-16.
It is at present undergoing sea trials.
"It (the K-4) has enabled our
nation to achieve the crucial nuclear triad," the DRDO citation stated.
It acknowledged significant contributions made by DRDL scientist
M.S.R.Prasad and his 62-member team towards the development of this key
missile "under the Advance Naval Systems Programme (ANSP)".
The other SLBM in the K series is
the K-15, which is reported to have a range of about 750 kilometers.
Both the K-4 and the K-15 have been successfully test-fired multiple
times from underwater pontoons to establish their capability to exit the
water and then hit a target on land.
The underwater deterrence is the
most crucial and reliable leg of the nuclear triad, ensuring maximum
survivability of nuclear weapons against a decapitating first strike by a
nuclear adversary. A robust SLBM is a shot in the arm for India's
nuclear deterrence, and gives more credibility to its doctrine of 'No
First Use'.
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