[6] The submarines are planned to be armed with up to twelve or sixteen K6 Submarine-launched ballistic missiles, each armed with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.

[1][4] The Government of India made an assessment of India's capability to design and construct a class of three new ballistic missile submarines codenamed S5 in 2006 when it was realised that the reactor and payload capacity of the Arihant-class submarines was limited.

These submarines were initially planned to be operationalised beginning in 2021 but were later delayed.

This delay had prompted the Indian Government to sanction an additional Arihant-class submarine in 2012 to avoid the idling of the production line.

[5][7] As of September 2024, the design phase of the submarine is nearing completion and project sanction is expected soon.