Context:
In December 2025, India successfully test-fired the ‘K-4’ Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) with a range of ~3,500 km from INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Key Highlights:
- Missile: K-4 (Intermediate-Range SLBM)
- Range: ~3,500 km
- Launch Platform: INS Arighaat (SSBN)
- Test Location: Bay of Bengal
- Significance: Strengthens India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent
About K-4 SLBM
- Commissioned into Indian Navy: 29 August 2024
- Also known as: Kalam-4
- Named after: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, chief architect of India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
- Category: Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
