India’s first generation indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile Submarine INS Arihant was captured in satellite imagery at the maintenance dry dock in Visakhapatnam in November 2022.
INS Arihant’s 83-megawatt pressurized water reactor has a refuelling cycle of seven years and it is likely that INS Arihant is undergoing its first refuelling and overhaul which is a process of refuelling or replacing the enriched uranium fuel rods of the submarine reactor and this process can take 18 to 24 months.
India’s second generation pressurized water reactor for the upcoming S5 class submarines will have a longer refuelling cycle of 12 years that will significantly reduce the cost of the operation.