New Delhi: With India set to induct the Russian `Nerpa` nuclear submarine next week, DRDO Chief V K Saraswat today said the INS Arihant-- the indigenous nuclear under-water vessel, would be launched for operations in the near future. "INS Arihant is in advanced stages. It will be ready for operations in next few months... It (the nuclear reactor) is not critical yet," DRDO Chief V K Sarswat told a press conference here.
The Nerpa has been taken on lease from Russia for ten years and would provide Navy the opportunity to train and operate such nuclear-powered vessels. India is also working to develop the arsenal for Arihant as it has already carried out more than 10 test launches of the K-15 missile (also known as Sagarika) in the Bay of Bengal.
"K-15 has undergone two trials recently. It is in the final phases of development and is getting ready towards induction... more than ten trials have been carried out so far," Saraswat said. The DRDO chief said the research body has entered into collaborations with countries including the UK, Brazil, Belarus and Germany for research and development work.