Kalam’s Submerged Dream: The K-4 Missile and India’s Quest for Total Security

Imagine having a protector so quiet and invisible that no enemy can even find it, yet powerful enough to defend our entire nation. That’s exactly what India(BHARAT) achieved on December 23, 2024, when we successfully test-fired the K-4 missile from our nuclear submarine INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal. This isn’t just another weapons test—it’s a promise to every India(BHARAT)n that we sleep safer tonight than we did yesterday.

Let me explain this in the simplest way possible. You know how we keep our most valuable things in the safest place at home? India(BHARAT) has now put its most powerful defensive weapon in the safest place possible—deep under the ocean, where no one can see it, find it, or destroy it. The K-4 missile can travel 3,500 kilometers underwater before rising up and hitting any target that threatens us. To put that in perspective, that’s like firing from Mumbai and reaching beyond Pakistan, covering most of China’s major cities. But here’s the beautiful part—we’ll never fire it first. This weapon exists only so that no enemy ever dares to attack us.

Think of it like this: if someone knows you have a friend who will definitely stand up for you no matter what, they think twice before troubling you, right? That’s exactly what the K-4 does for India(BHARAT). It tells the world, “Even if you somehow destroy everything on our land, our submarines hidden deep in the ocean will still protect us.” This is what experts call a “second-strike capability”—the ability to hit back even after being attacked. Very few countries in the world have this power, and now India(BHARAT) proudly stands among them.

What makes this achievement even more special is how the missile works. Picture this: a submarine silently gliding deep underwater, almost like a metal whale. When needed, it releases the K-4 missile, which cleverly navigates through water, breaks the surface, ignites its rocket engine mid-air, and flies toward its target thousands of kilometers away. Now, let’s talk about the monster itself—the K-4 is 12 meters long, about as tall as a four-story building, and weighs a massive 17 tonnes, roughly equal to three adult elephants combined! Its diameter is 1.3 meters, wide enough that a person couldn’t wrap their arms around it. Despite this enormous size, it carries a nuclear warhead weighing 2,500 kilograms—that’s as heavy as two small cars! The engineering genius behind making something this powerful work underwater, fitting inside a submarine, and then launching it successfully is mind-blowing.

The ‘K’ in K-4 carries a beautiful tribute—it honors Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, our beloved Missile Man of India(BHARAT), who dreamed of a strong and self-reliant India(BHARAT). Every time we hear about K-series missiles, we remember that gentle soul who taught us to dream big and work hard. He would have been so proud to see his vision come alive.

Now, why does launching from submarines matter so much? Because submarines like INS Arighaat can stay hidden underwater for months, moving silently across oceans, completely invisible to satellites and radars. They’re like ghosts protecting our nation. An enemy might know we have these submarines somewhere in the vast India(BHARAT)n Ocean, but they can never find them. This uncertainty itself is a powerful deterrent—no one wants to pick a fight when they know an invisible defender is watching.

Here’s something fascinating about India(BHARAT)’s Arihant-class submarines—they’re not all the same! INS Arihant, our very first nuclear submarine and the pioneer of this class, carries the shorter-range K-15 missiles that can strike targets up to 750 kilometers away. But all the other submarines in this class—INS Arighaat (which just tested the K-4), INS Aridhaman (set to be commissioned in early 2026), and S4 (launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in October 2024 and expected to join service by the end of this decade)—are equipped with the much more powerful K-4 missiles with their 3,500-kilometer range. It’s like the first child in a family paving the way, and the younger ones coming with even better capabilities. Together, these four submarines form an unstoppable underwater defense network protecting our nation.

India(BHARAT) now has what’s called a “nuclear triad”—we can launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea. Only a handful of nations possess this capability. We’re not building these weapons to show off or to threaten anyone. We’re building them because we’ve learned from history that peace comes from strength. A strong India(BHARAT) means a safe India(BHARAT), where children can study without fear, where farmers can grow crops without worry about wars, where families can plan futures with confidence.

The K-4 is still undergoing final tests before officially joining the Strategic Forces Command that coordinates our Army, Navy, and Air Force. Meanwhile, India(BHARAT) is also developing the even more powerful K-5 missile with over 5,000-kilometer range for our next generation of submarines, which will be much larger at around 10,000 tonnes. We’re not just building weapons; we’re building a shield that ensures our children inherit a secure nation.

As young India(BHARAT)ns, you should feel proud. The India(BHARAT) of today isn’t the India(BHARAT) that once had to beg for weapons from other countries. This is Atmanirbhar Bharat—a self-reliant India(BHARAT) that designs, builds, and deploys its own defense systems. The K-4 missile swimming silently beneath our oceans isn’t just technology; it’s a promise that your dreams, your futures, and your India(BHARAT) will always be protected.

Jai Hind!

———– E.O.M 

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India(BHARAT) Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)