(Image source from: Gear Up for Sea Trial})

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced on Saturday, India's first home-built nuclear submarine is ready-steady for sea trials in open waters, a step in precedence of it becomes fully operational.

India exposed the indigenous 6,000-tonne INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) in 2009 as part of a project to construct five nuclear armed vessels. Mr Singh described the development as a giant improvement in the progress of their indigenous technological capabilities at the same time said he anticipated to see the submarine commissioned within a short period. According to defence officials, Arihant is powered by an 85-megawatt nuclear reactor and can reach 24 knots, it will carry a 95-member crew.

(AW:Samrat Biswas)