India will have a Nuclear Submarine, INS Arihant, operational in about two years.

As a citizen, I have often heard that we are a peaceful country, and we can beat back our potential adversary or adversaries.

But we have a history of being attacked, and despite periodic declarations of bravado from those at the helm, we have to keep in mind that the Indian Armed Forces do not have adequate modern equipment.

The statement by the then Army chief, Gen V P Malik, during the Kargil War that “we will fight with whatever we have” is a painful reminder of the situation that exists even now. Not much has been acquired after the fall of Mr Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 from the country’s leadership over the allegations in the Bofors gun deal, and to date, the Army lacks adequate firepower in artillery, air support, air defence and so on.

The other two Services are not far away, although one must admit that over the recent years, thanks to Pakistan’s misadventures in Kargil in 1999 and then of Pakistani terrorists’ attack in Bombay 26/11, the system has moved.

It’s not enough though.

Whenever something is about to be acquired, something happens, and one step forward becomes ten steps backward.

India has a sensible Nuclear Doctrine: India will not attack any country with nuclear weapons first, and India will not attack non-nuclear weapon states with nuclear weapons. But India must defend itself against nuclear threats, and the Indian Doctrine promises massive retaliation.

That is perfectly logical and correct.

The most important step towards realising this Doctrine is the capability; the capability to destroy, annihilate any one rabid enough to initiate and launch a nuclear attack.

The triad of capability to hit back from Land, Air and Sea is must to deter an attack, and if this does happen unfortunately, then to destroy the attacker.

The Indian Air Force and the Indian Army have sufficient capabilities to do the needful. The Navy has to have this as well, whether to launch nuclear strikes from its ships, aircraft, or submarines.

The capability of nuclear submarines to remain hidden for months is formidable, and an effective deterrent, deterrence being the first choice.

INS Arihant has been launched. Every Indian is proud and is looking up to the Indian Navy for building a powerful surface and sub-surface capability.