Nuclear triad weapons ready for deployment: DRDO

New Delhi: The weapons systems for the country’s nuclear triad, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles, are “fully ready” for deployment, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander said on Monday.

Addressing a gathering at an event, he said the nuclear reactor on board the indigenously-developed INS Arihant nuclear submarine is also critical and is running on its “full power” before it is launched for sea trials.

The weapons for the nuclear triad are “either fully developed or are ready to be deployed,” Chander said.

The nuclear triad is the capability to launch a nuclear weapon from sea, air and land. India will complete it once the Arihant is operational giving it the option to retaliate to nuclear strike through submarine-launched BO-5 missiles.

The Arihant is expected to be launched for sea trials in next few months. The Agni series missiles can be used to carry out attacks from land while some of the Indian Air Force airrcraft are also capable of launching nuclear attacks.

The DRDO completed the development of the over 700km-range BO-5 missiles recently and they would be fired from the Arihant during its sea trials. The organization is also preparing to develop the longer-range K-4 underwater missile in near future and some of its trials have been completed successfully.