Mighty India Power

India Sunday joined a select group of five nations with the launching here of the country's first indigenously designed and built nuclear-powered attack submarine, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described as a 'historic milestone' in the country's defence preparedness. The prime minister's wife Gursharan Kaur did the honours of launching the submarine - INS Arihant - at a function here. Manmohan Singh, speaking at the event, assured that the nuclear submarine was not developed with 'aggressive designs' or to 'threaten anyone', but it was necessary to take all measures to safeguard the country and keep pace with technological advancements in the world. He also congratulated the Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) Programme and the people associated with it for designing and building the nuclear submarine, which he said was a reflection of the 'immense technical expertise' and the strength of the research and development organisations...

The dream of over a quarter of a century will be fulfilled today when Ms Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, breaks the coconut on the hull of India’s first indigenously constructed nuclear- propelled ballistic missile submarine — called a boomer in popular parlance — at a super- secret Naval base in Visakhapatnam. At that moment, the 112- metre long black marine monster, now named Arihant ( destroyer of the enemy), will be pulled out of its lair — a covered dry dock, nearly halfa- kilometre long and 50 metre deep — where it has been conceived and grown. The building, called the Ship Building Centre at INS Virbhau, the Navy’s base in Vizag, is at the very end of the harbour. The Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) have expended a great deal of treasure and sweat to reach this point. A year from now, after harbour and sea trials, the Arihant, with a complement of 23 officers and 72 sailors, will join the naval fleet. What ...

The Indian Navy is all set to join the global elite club tomorrow when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally launches the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant at the Naval Dockyard of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. Prime Minister will arrive at the ENC's airbase INS Dega in Visakhapatnam by a special IAF plane along with his wife at 11 am and drive straight to the Naval Dockyard to commission INS Arihant into the sea. The 6000-tonne submarine will first be put on sea trials for two years before being commissioned into full service. In the two years, the submarine will also undergo harbour trials of its nuclear reactor and other systems. Tomorrow's launch of the submarine coincides with the "Vijay Diwas" marking India's triumph over Pakistani intruders in Kargil.

ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair on Sunday said the technical glitch on India's first moon mission (which has been rectified later) would not affect the country's future space missions. Asked if the problem would dampen India's future space missions especially when it is planning to send Chandrayaan-II, Nair said, "Not at all." Star sensor, a critical instrument on board India's only satellite orbiting the moon, failed on May 16 due to overheating and cast doubts on completion of the two-year mission launched on October 22 last year. In an interview to a TV channel, the ISRO chief said the organisation is planning to send the first manned flight around 2015. "There would be two men in human capsule on a seven-day mission. It will be launched from Sriharikota," he said. On sending an Indian to moon, Nair said, "At the moment we don't have such plan." But he strongly favoured a manned mission to moon by India, saying the US and ...

The Army has for the first time inducted a DRDO-built, low-cost vehicle to detect attacks on the country using nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons. The indigenous vehicle, developed by DRDO’s five labs, will now be used in reconnaissance missions to detect nuclear radiations, and chemical or biological agents in the environment inside the country’s territory, DRDO officials said here on Sunday. Based on a BMP-IIK Infantry Fighting Vehicle chassis, the vehicle would cost the Indian defence establishment a fourth of that of the imported varieties, saving the country’s precious foreign exchange, the officials said without giving details. The BMP-IIK, which has a cross-country capability and adequate shield for the crew members, was fitted with nuclear, chemical, biological, meteorological and positional sensors for monitoring any contamination. The vehicle would be used for demarcating the contaminated zones with a flag-marking system and samples of soil and water co...

It's indeed rocket science. And Tessy Thomas is going great guns at unravelling all its complexities. Though women and nuclear-capable Tessy Thomas played a crucial role in the successful firing of the 3,500-km range Agni-III missile. (Agency Photo) ballistic missiles usually don't go together, Thomas is systematically breaking all glass ceilings in the avowedly male bastion of `strategic weapons'. Thomas has now been appointed the project director (mission) of India's most ambitious missile, Agni-V, with a strike range of 5,000-km, which is slated to be tested for the first time next year. Thomas, 46, was made the project director of the new advanced version of the 2,500-km Agni-II missile last year after she played a crucial role in the successful firing of the 3,500-km range Agni-III missile as an associate project director, as reported by TOI earlier. Now, she has added another feather to her cap by being assigned to Agni-V, the test-firing of which wil...