K-15 Sagarika

K-15 Sagarika is an Indian submarine-launched ballistic missile associated with the Arihant-class nuclear ballistic-missile submarine program. CSIS Missile Threat describes Sagarika as an SLBM with a range of roughly 700 to 750 km, while NTI's India profile places it within the broader development of India's nuclear delivery systems. Its strategic role is tied to survivability: submarine-launched missiles can support a second-strike posture if the submarines, command systems, and patrol patterns are mature enough.

Sagarika is generally described as a two-stage solid-propellant missile with a compact form suitable for submarine launch. Its short-to-medium range means an Indian submarine would need to operate relatively close to some targets, limiting strategic flexibility compared with longer-range SLBMs. Even so, it provides an important developmental base: underwater launch, canisterization, submarine integration, and command-and-control procedures are all complex capabilities that must be proven before longer-range systems can be fielded confidently.

The missile's value is highest against regional targets within reach from secure patrol areas. Against more distant targets, especially if submarines must expose themselves to operate within range, K-15 is less ideal than longer-range systems. Its real importance is therefore twofold: it gives India an initial deployed SLBM capability and it supports the learning curve for follow-on systems such as K-4.