INTRODUCTION
If we naive Indians have to aver the barb of Mr. Gary Milhollin who doesn't fail to incessantly purport ad nausea in various fora across the US in the hope that we would sublimely come to believe that the American military and space program has been a squeaky clean effort. Pitifully and regrettably it is not so. He jibes that the Indian civilian space and later military programs have been offshoots of generous help rendered by the western space powers, especially the US, Germany and France. However, what he his figuratively trying to convey is rhetorical, deceptive and discriminating in its agenda. Agreed, India may have taken some technical aid from other nations to develop its nascent civilian space program, but discounting India's genuine effort thereafter to develop technology is certainly selective amnesia. Interestingly, America did not develop its space or military ballistic missile programs on its own, it however leapfrogged to acquire high technology solutions in space and defense by resorting to ignominious means.
PROOF IN THE PUDDING
Modern rocketry started with the ambitions of an obnoxious and direful psychopath who wanted to dominate the world. His name - Hitler. He wanted to possess a super weapon to quash the allied countries. The man who would help Hitler realize this dream was a Nazi rocket scientist named Wernher Magnus Maximilian von Braun or commonly known as Wernher von Braun, an avid Nazi sympathizer. He developed the V-2 or Aggregat-4 long-range ballistic missile perhaps one of the greatest technological achievements of this century. After the fall of the “Third Reich”, American soldiers captured von Braun and some of his key associates, and the prized catch was clandestinely shipped to America. The Americans brought over 300 trainloads of spare V-2 parts to the United States from Nazi Germany. Much of von Braun's production team was also captured by the Soviets. Wernher von Braun and his compatriots war careers as Nazis was deceitfully hidden from the public by the US government. In White Sands, New Mexico, von Braun and his team trained and tested rockets for the US military and for several years went about launching captured V-2 rockets. Before 1945, neither the Americans nor the Soviets had any extensive advanced rocket facilities or programs and it was von Braun and his team who were instrumental in developing this capability. Hence, the early American rocket program development is steeped in so much muck that even the Americans would want to forget and disown it. This could be the very reason why Mr. Milhollin fails to mention this fact even as a supplementary note in his speeches on the subject of proliferation.
India has a very solid non-proliferation record unlike China or Pakistan in the region as its institutions are bound by solid democratic principles governed by rule of law and its decision makers have complete legislative power over these entities. India has been a very responsible and stable nuclear power right from its inception and until this day. The authors' contention and concern on the risk that cooperating with India (this was way back in the 1990's) could contribute to the spread of missile technology was rather unfounded. On the other hand, when Pakistan illegally started developing its atom bomb in response to India's own nuclear weapon status, by either stealing, smuggling or rummaging the international market for machinery, parts and components, the Americans conveniently turned the proverbial blind eye thus encouraging Pakistan to develop what is now known as the "Islamic Bomb". This was permitted by the US in the name of its National Interest policy. Other intervention policies like the support to the Afghan Mujaheddin has backfired with severe ramifications which eventually led to the 9/11 massacre of several thousand innocent Americans. On the question of China, these guys supplied Pakistan with sophisticated gas centrifuges to enrich uranium and in turn, Pakistan sold this technology to Iran and Libya via the A Q Khan network in the name of “Islamic Brotherhood”. The US did not take Pakistan to task then, when A Q Khan openly sold other nuclear technology secrets to the so-called “Rouge State” North Korea, all it did was to impose punitive sanctions, which the Pakistanis cared less. Pakistan continued trading in illegal weapons despite these sanctions since it was aware that the US would not alter its "friendly" relationship with it because of the ongoing war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US is dependent on Pakistan for logistics support.
Pakistani weapons trade with North Korea is rather amusing since the technology exchange followed was a sort of archaic barter system; Pakistan got critical ballistic missile technology from North Korea in exchange for Pakistan’s nuclear know-how.
The Americans have failed to realize that they are bound to face an impending nuclear attack not from India, Russia, China, North Korea or even Iran but sure as shooting from Pakistan. Realizing rather late US and its cohorts are hastening ways and means to secure Pakistan’s dirty bombs, especially given Pakistan’s vacillation between being ruled by a trigger happy military junta and the fair chance of being overrun by religious zealots who by all means will not hesitate to use these nuclear assets against India, Israel and the US.
Hence, it is imperative that India develops and maintains a minimum qualitative and quantitative credible nuclear deterrence and defense program in whatsoever manner against its adversaries, taking into account its long term strategic and security requirements as a responsible emerging global power.
PROJECT "DEVIL" & "VALIANT"
If we naive Indians have to aver the barb of Mr. Gary Milhollin who doesn't fail to incessantly purport ad nausea in various fora across the US in the hope that we would sublimely come to believe that the American military and space program has been a squeaky clean effort. Pitifully and regrettably it is not so. He jibes that the Indian civilian space and later military programs have been offshoots of generous help rendered by the western space powers, especially the US, Germany and France. However, what he his figuratively trying to convey is rhetorical, deceptive and discriminating in its agenda. Agreed, India may have taken some technical aid from other nations to develop its nascent civilian space program, but discounting India's genuine effort thereafter to develop technology is certainly selective amnesia. Interestingly, America did not develop its space or military ballistic missile programs on its own, it however leapfrogged to acquire high technology solutions in space and defense by resorting to ignominious means.
PROOF IN THE PUDDING
Modern rocketry started with the ambitions of an obnoxious and direful psychopath who wanted to dominate the world. His name - Hitler. He wanted to possess a super weapon to quash the allied countries. The man who would help Hitler realize this dream was a Nazi rocket scientist named Wernher Magnus Maximilian von Braun or commonly known as Wernher von Braun, an avid Nazi sympathizer. He developed the V-2 or Aggregat-4 long-range ballistic missile perhaps one of the greatest technological achievements of this century. After the fall of the “Third Reich”, American soldiers captured von Braun and some of his key associates, and the prized catch was clandestinely shipped to America. The Americans brought over 300 trainloads of spare V-2 parts to the United States from Nazi Germany. Much of von Braun's production team was also captured by the Soviets. Wernher von Braun and his compatriots war careers as Nazis was deceitfully hidden from the public by the US government. In White Sands, New Mexico, von Braun and his team trained and tested rockets for the US military and for several years went about launching captured V-2 rockets. Before 1945, neither the Americans nor the Soviets had any extensive advanced rocket facilities or programs and it was von Braun and his team who were instrumental in developing this capability. Hence, the early American rocket program development is steeped in so much muck that even the Americans would want to forget and disown it. This could be the very reason why Mr. Milhollin fails to mention this fact even as a supplementary note in his speeches on the subject of proliferation.
India has a very solid non-proliferation record unlike China or Pakistan in the region as its institutions are bound by solid democratic principles governed by rule of law and its decision makers have complete legislative power over these entities. India has been a very responsible and stable nuclear power right from its inception and until this day. The authors' contention and concern on the risk that cooperating with India (this was way back in the 1990's) could contribute to the spread of missile technology was rather unfounded. On the other hand, when Pakistan illegally started developing its atom bomb in response to India's own nuclear weapon status, by either stealing, smuggling or rummaging the international market for machinery, parts and components, the Americans conveniently turned the proverbial blind eye thus encouraging Pakistan to develop what is now known as the "Islamic Bomb". This was permitted by the US in the name of its National Interest policy. Other intervention policies like the support to the Afghan Mujaheddin has backfired with severe ramifications which eventually led to the 9/11 massacre of several thousand innocent Americans. On the question of China, these guys supplied Pakistan with sophisticated gas centrifuges to enrich uranium and in turn, Pakistan sold this technology to Iran and Libya via the A Q Khan network in the name of “Islamic Brotherhood”. The US did not take Pakistan to task then, when A Q Khan openly sold other nuclear technology secrets to the so-called “Rouge State” North Korea, all it did was to impose punitive sanctions, which the Pakistanis cared less. Pakistan continued trading in illegal weapons despite these sanctions since it was aware that the US would not alter its "friendly" relationship with it because of the ongoing war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US is dependent on Pakistan for logistics support.
Pakistani weapons trade with North Korea is rather amusing since the technology exchange followed was a sort of archaic barter system; Pakistan got critical ballistic missile technology from North Korea in exchange for Pakistan’s nuclear know-how.
The Americans have failed to realize that they are bound to face an impending nuclear attack not from India, Russia, China, North Korea or even Iran but sure as shooting from Pakistan. Realizing rather late US and its cohorts are hastening ways and means to secure Pakistan’s dirty bombs, especially given Pakistan’s vacillation between being ruled by a trigger happy military junta and the fair chance of being overrun by religious zealots who by all means will not hesitate to use these nuclear assets against India, Israel and the US.
Hence, it is imperative that India develops and maintains a minimum qualitative and quantitative credible nuclear deterrence and defense program in whatsoever manner against its adversaries, taking into account its long term strategic and security requirements as a responsible emerging global power.
(Gary Milhollin-Professor, University of Wisconsin Law School and Director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control in a discourse before the House Committee on Science, June 25, 1998)
PROJECT "DEVIL" & "VALIANT"
India’s quest to develop a short-range ballistic missile
started way back in the 1970’s when the Project “Devil” and Project “Valiant”
were conceived. These projects were the precursor of the more transparent and
successful Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) conceived by former President of India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, which was launched in 1983. It is generally believed that the Defense Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), which had begun in 1958 and later, transpired
into what is now DRDO intended to reverse engineer the Soviet Union’s S-75 Dvina ballistic missile. This is not the case, as India never had the policy
to either reverse engineer nor adopt crafty branding techniques of bought out weapons as being done by
other nations to bolster its offensive aspirations. Project “Valiant” died an
early death and Project “Devil” continued with secretive government funding and support. The project was a partial success, however plenty of new
technologies, design competence, materials and components development and production techniques were realized during its development,
which laid ground for the more successful Prithvi and Akash programs.
Though there are several imported missiles in the armed forces, I have however focused exclusively on the systems developed indigenously.
The task to develop several technologies was difficult for the Indian scientists as they did not have prior expertise, industrial infrastructure nor the production efficiency to develop high-tech machinery, components, subsystems and products. But with customary resolve they solved daunting problems successively and developed truly world class products for the armed forces. Over the past decade development of critical technologies has been accomplished on a trial and error basis, similar to the proven model of repetitive testing adopted by the erstwhile Soviet space and defense scientists to prove the efficacy of new technologies. Therefore, delivery schedules of some final products has suffered to reach the end-users on time and as a result DRDO and its related agencies have invited considerable flak. However, in most of the cases the rebukes are rather unmindful, unfair and unjustified.
Though there are several imported missiles in the armed forces, I have however focused exclusively on the systems developed indigenously.
The task to develop several technologies was difficult for the Indian scientists as they did not have prior expertise, industrial infrastructure nor the production efficiency to develop high-tech machinery, components, subsystems and products. But with customary resolve they solved daunting problems successively and developed truly world class products for the armed forces. Over the past decade development of critical technologies has been accomplished on a trial and error basis, similar to the proven model of repetitive testing adopted by the erstwhile Soviet space and defense scientists to prove the efficacy of new technologies. Therefore, delivery schedules of some final products has suffered to reach the end-users on time and as a result DRDO and its related agencies have invited considerable flak. However, in most of the cases the rebukes are rather unmindful, unfair and unjustified.
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SHORT RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES
Images: DRDO
PRITHVI-I
Prithvi-I "Earth" in Sanskrit is a theater class short-range, road-mobile, liquid-propelled ballistic missile with two motors clustered next to each other as a single stage configuration. Prithvi was the first missile to be developed under the IGMDP. It has a warhead mounting capability of 1,000 kg and a range of 150 km. It has an accuracy of 10 – 50 meters and can be launched from a transporter erector launcher. It was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994. This missile will be phased out once the more capable and accurate Prahar missile completes its development process. The Prithvi-I will be later upgraded and used for longer ranges.
Prithvi-I "Earth" in Sanskrit is a theater class short-range, road-mobile, liquid-propelled ballistic missile with two motors clustered next to each other as a single stage configuration. Prithvi was the first missile to be developed under the IGMDP. It has a warhead mounting capability of 1,000 kg and a range of 150 km. It has an accuracy of 10 – 50 meters and can be launched from a transporter erector launcher. It was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994. This missile will be phased out once the more capable and accurate Prahar missile completes its development process. The Prithvi-I will be later upgraded and used for longer ranges.
The Pakistan specific Prithvi-II is similar to the Prithvi-I in several aspects. It has extended tanks for more fuel capacity thereby extending its range from 250 km to
350 km with payload capacity of around 500 to 1,000 kg. In its current
configuration, the missile stands 9.4 meters tall and is 1.1 meters in diameter and weighs 4,500 kg. It has an improved navigation capability due to an inertial navigation
system installed in newer versions. It uses the same two liquid-propellant engines as the Prithvi-I. The
engine control allows the missile to stop climbing when it reaches an altitude
of 30 km, travel horizontally during the coasting phase and dive on its target
at an 80° angle. It was first test-fired on January 27, 1996 and the
development phases were completed in 2004.
Project Highlights
- Prithvi-II was first test-fired on January 27, 1996
- Prithvi-II test failed on 24 September 2010
- Two more missiles aimed at two different targets were launched successfully on 22 December 2010
- A test firing on 9 June 2011 was successful with the missile reaching an accuracy of better than 10 meters Circular Error Probable (CEP)
- The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully test fired the missile on 25 August 2012 and 4 October 2012
- SFC conducted three consequent test firings on 7 October 2013, 7 January 2014 and 28 March 2014
(Table: Wikipedia)
Missile
|
Warhead
|
Payload(kg)
|
Range(km)
|
Dimension(m)
|
Weight(kg)
|
In service
|
CEP(m)
|
Prithvi-I
|
Nuclear, HE, Submunitions, FAE, Chemical
|
1,000
|
150
|
8.55X1.1
|
4,400
|
1988
|
30–50
|
Prithvi-II
|
Nuclear, HE, Submunitions, FAE, Chemical
|
350–750
|
350
|
8.55X1.1
|
4,600
|
1996
|
10–15
|
Prithvi-III
|
Nuclear, HE, Submunitions, FAE, Chemical
|
500–1,000
|
350–600
|
8.55X1
|
5,600
|
2004
|
10–15
|
FAE - Fuel-Air Explosive - A Thermobaric Weapon is a type of
explosive that utilizes oxygen from the surrounding air to generate an intense, high-temperature explosion, and in
practice the blast wave such a weapon produces is typically significantly longer in duration than a conventional
condensed explosive.
PRITHVI-III (DHANUSH)
Dhanush meaning "Bow" in Hindi is the naval version of the Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile. The missile is about 8.53 meters in length and 0.9 meter in diameter and its launch weight about 4.4 tonnes. This single stage missile uses liquid propellant and can be used as an anti-ship weapon as well as for destroying land targets depending on the range. The missile can carry a 1,000 kg warhead to a distance of 350 km and a 500 kg warhead to a distance of 600 km and a 250 kg warhead up to a distance of 750 km. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1,000 kg and hit both land and sea based targets. The missile gives the Indian Navy the capability to strike enemy targets with great precision. Although the first test flight in 2000 of the Dhanush from INS Subhadra, a Sukanya class patrol craft was a failure, eight subsequent tests have been successful. The latest test was conducted successfully on 22nd November 2013 by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) in co-operation with DRDO from a naval ship from a location at Bay of Bengal.
PRAHAAR (TACTICAL BALLISTIC MISSILE)
Prahaar "Strike" in Sanskrit is a solid-fueled surface-to-surface guided short-range tactical ballistic missile. It will be equipped with omni-directional warheads and could be used for striking both tactical and strategic targets. Prahaar is developed to provide a cost effective, quick reaction, all-weather, all-terrain, highly accurate battlefield support tactical system. The Prahaar missile is part of India's Cold Start strategy doctrine which involves multiple, simultaneous invasions of enemy territory with quickly assembled Indian Army battle groups, well before the enemy forces can reach the border and occupy defensive positions. The development of the missile was carried out by the DRDO scientists in a span of less than two years. The missile fills the short-range tactical battlefield missile role as required by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, to take out strategic and tactical targets. The mobile launch platform will carry six missiles, which can have different kind of warheads meant for different targets and can be fired in salvo mode in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane. This solid-fueled missile can be launched within 2 to 3 minutes without any preparation, providing significantly better reaction time than liquid-fueled Prithvi ballistic missiles and act as a gap filler in the 150 km range, between the Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher, Smerch MBRL and the Prithvi ballistic missiles. Prahaar can be employed for both contact and deep battles. Prahaar was test-fired successfully on 21 July 2011. During the test Prahaar traveled a distance of 150 km in about 250 seconds meeting all launch objectives and striking a predesignated target in the Bay of Bengal with a high degree of accuracy of less than 10 meters. Its maximum payload of 200 kg does not allow the Prahaar to carry a nuclear weapon. The Export Variant of the System is called Pragati. (Text: Wikipedia)
A significant note on Prahaar missile's lethality: Read it hear
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MEDIUM RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES
Images: DRDO
AGNI-IThe Agni "Fire" in Sanskrit is a family of Short to Intermediate range ballistic missiles developed by DRDO. India's most sophisticated ballistic missile, Agni-I weighs 12 tons and is 15 meters tall. The recent user trials involved the test firing of an upgraded version of Agni-I with better re-entry technology, maneuverability and range extension of up to 700 – 1,250 km. It is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or a nuclear warhead at a speed exceeding 2.5 km/s. Agni missiles consist of one stage (short range) or two stages (intermediate range). These are rail and road mobile compatible and powered by solid propellants. Agni, has a power plant made of composite materials that has considerably reduce its weight. India joined an elite group of countries having this advanced technology, presently, US and Russia are the only two countries to possess such sophisticated technology.
In its first night time trial, Agni-I ballistic missile was successfully tested by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on 11th April 2014 as part of regular training exercise. The missile took off in a perfect launch and reached the target point in Bay of Bengal meeting all the mission objectives successfully. Like the Prithvi-II the Agni-I is Pakistan specific.
AGNI-II
The Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with two solid fuel stages and a Post Boost Vehicle (PBV) integrated into the missile's Re-entry Vehicle (RV). The Agni's maneuvering RV is made of a carbon-carbon composite material that is light and able to sustain high thermal stresses at re-entry, and in a variety of trajectories. The Agni-IIA is a more advanced version of Agni-II, albeit with more sophisticated and lighter materials, yielding a better range and operating regime. Agni-IIA was later renamed as Agni-IV plugging the gap between Agni-II and Agni-III. While the first test of Agni-IV (Agni-II) in December 2010 was a failure, the second test flight in November 2011 was a success. Agni-II, developed as part of medium and long range Agni series of missile systems, has already been inducted into the Armed Forces.
Testing
On 17 May 2010, the trial was conducted by Special Strategic Command Forces (SSCF) of nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile, with a range of 2,000 km, thus making Agni-II missile operational by army. The missiles are operated by the 335 Missile Group at Secunderabad using 12 - 8 x 8 Tata TELAR (Transporter Erector Launcher) Rail Mobile Launcher vehicles. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
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INTERMEDIATE RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES
Images: DRDO
AGNI III
India's Minimum Credible Nuclear Deterrence envisages a triad of nuclear counter-strike capability which required a long range missile to provide robust second strike capability. Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed as the successor to Agni-II. Agni-III and its successors Agni-IV and Agni-V is clearly a evolving departure from India's portfolio in developing defensive ballistic missile weapons. The missile has a range of 3,500 km-5,000 km, and is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighboring countries. The missile’s Circular Error Probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missile of its class in the world.
Agni III is a two-stage ballistic missile that is capable of nuclear weapons delivery. Agni-III carries ABM counter-measure payloads along with weapons, in a configuration similar to a MIRV, albeit with state-of-the-art decoys. It was designed and developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation, guidance and control systems along with advanced on-board computer systems. The electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration, thermal and acoustic effects. A high performance indigenous ring laser gyro-based navigation system was flight-tested for the first time during the Agni-III trial on 7th Feb 2010.
With a length of 17 meters and a launch weight of around 50 tonnes the Agni-III features two solid fueled stages with an overall diameter of 2 meters. This diameter is compatible with a recently tested Indian sub-surface launch system, which has a 2.3 meters diameter launch tube aperture. The first stage booster is made of advanced carbon composite materials to provide high payload fraction (mass fraction). It weighs about 32 tons, is 7.7 meters long and diameter of 2 meters. The second stage made of maraging steel weighing about 11 tonnes and a length of 3.3 meters. The second stage has flex nozzles, to provide necessary flight trajectory control.
Project Highlights
- The first test for Agni III was conducted on 9 July 2006 which was unsuccessful
- Agni-III was successfully test fired again on 12 April 2007
- Agni III was test fired successfully for third time on 7 May 2008
- Agni III was tested successfully for the fourth time on 7 February 2010.
- On 21 September 2012, as part of regular user-training the Strategic Forces Command test fired an Agni III missile from a rail mobile launcher. The missile was randomly chosen from a production lot. All mission objectives were achieved and the missile hit the pre-designated target with a two-digit accuracy.
- On 23rd December 2013, the missile was tested by the Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army. The test was a success.
Agni-IV is the fourth in the Agni series of missiles which was earlier known as Agni II prime. It has been developed by India's DRDO and displayed a number of new technologies and significant improvement in missile technology. The missile is light-weight and has two stages of solid propulsion and a payload with re-entry heat shield. DRDO had produced and proven many new state of the art technologies with the Agni-IV like composite rocket motors, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System, Micro Navigation System, Digital Controller System and very powerful on-board computer system. Agni-IV bridges the gap between Agni-II and Agni-III. Agni IV can take a warhead of 1 ton. It is designed to increase the kill efficiency along with a higher range performance. Agni IV is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, that includes indigenously developed ring laser gyro and composite rocket motor. Its a two-stage missile powered by solid propellant. Its length is 20 meters and launch weight 17 tonnes. It can be fired from a road mobile launcher. Efforts are being made to fine-tuning the Agni missiles to defeat anti-ballistic missile systems. Radar and other signatures of Agni-IV have been significantly reduced to make them much more immune to counter-measures.
Project Highlights
- Agni-IV was successfully test fired for the first time 15 November 2011. The missile followed its trajectory, attained a height of about 900 km and reached the pre-designated target in international waters of the Bay of Bengal. All mission objectives were fully met. All systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering re-entry temperatures of more than 3,000°C.
- The missile was successfully test-fired again on 19 September 2012 for its full range of 4,000 km. The missile lifted off from a road mobile launcher at 11.48 a.m. and after zooming to an altitude of over 800 km, it re-entered the atmosphere and impacted near the pre-designated target in the Indian Ocean with remarkable degree of accuracy following a 20-minute flight. Carrying a payload of explosives weighing a ton, the missile re-entered the atmosphere and withstood searing temperatures of more than 3,000°C.
- The missile was test-fired in the actual weapon and road-mobile configuration of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on 20 January 2014. The missile traveled a vertical distance of 850 km and covered its full range of 4,000 km. The on board ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system (RINS) and the micro-navigation system (MINGS) enabled the missile to fall within 100 meters of its target. The re-entry shield withstood outside temperatures as high as 4,000°C, enabling the avionics to work at less than 50°C inside. The missile's production line will start by end of 2014 or early 2015 and its induction into the SFC will happen simultaneously. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE
Images: Left: DRDO - Right :The Hindu
AGNI V
India reiterated its expertise in high end missile technology when it proudly entered the exclusive club as the fifth country among the US, Russia, France, and China to develop a Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Although some observers say unless India acquires a 8,000 km range missile, it cannot become a part of the ICBM club. But DRDO scientists are sticking to their claim due to obvious reasons, it does not want to vent American or global ire by disclosing the actual range capability of Agni-V. DRDO Chief Padma Shri Dr. Avinash Chander said in a press conference recently "Actually range is least problematic part of the missile. We have full capability to go to any range. If we need a particular range, we can achieve that in two or two and half years. This issue today is more with the accuracy of the missiles".
The missile took to the sky on its maiden flight on 19 April 2012 and reached the pre-designated target point of over 5000 km away in the Indian Ocean with remarkable accuracy. Agni-V is a three stage solid fueled ICBM with composite motor casing in the second and third stages. With composites used extensively to reduce weight, and a third stage added on, the Agni-5 can fly significantly more to inter-continental range. A formidable weapon the Agni-5 is specially tailored for road-mobility as this strategic missile is planned to be canisterized in the near future to reduce reaction time, in case of a nuclear attack. Agni-V is 17 meters tall and has a launch mass of around 50 tons (49 long tons; 55 short tons), it incorporates advanced technologies such as highly accurate Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and accelerometer for navigation and guidance, state-of-the-art avionics, 5th generation on-board computer distributed architecture, reliable redundant micro-navigation system and the re-entry kit shield that withstands temperature of more than 4,000 degrees Celsius ensuring that avionics function smoothly by maintaining an inside temperature less than 50 degrees Celsius. It takes its first stage from Agni-III, with a modified second stage and a miniaturized third stage to ensure it can fly to distances of 5,000 km (3,100 miles). The accuracy levels of Agni-V with its better guidance and navigation systems, is far higher and according to the Project Director of Agni-V, Mrs. Tessy Thomas, the missile achieved single-digit accuracy in its second test. In future, Agni-V is expected to feature Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV) with each missile being capable of carrying 2–10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a different target, separated by hundreds of kilometers; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target. MIRV's ensure a credible second strike capability even with few missiles. Agni-V can be configured to launch small satellites and can be even configured as a anti-satellite weapon (ASAT).
Project Highlights
- The Agni V was successfully test-fired On 19 April 2012 at 08.05 am. As per reports the Agni-V was able to hit the target nearly at pin-point accuracy, within a few meters of the designated target point. Chinese experts say that the missile has the potential to reach targets 8,000 km away and that the Indian government had deliberately downplayed the missile's capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries. The exact range of Agni-V is classified.
- The second test flight of Agni-V was conducted On September 15 2013 at 8:50 am. The missile hit the pre-designed target in the Indian Ocean with an accuracy of a few meters. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
Agni-VI is presumed to be a three-stage ICBM, which is in the hardware development phase, after its design phase was completed. Agni VI is expected to have Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Warheads (MIRV) as well as Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV) potential. And these maneuverable warheads will give Agni VI an extended range, the exact figure of which is currently classified. It will be taller than its predecessor Agni V, and is expected to be flight tested by 2017. The government of India is yet to approve the project, although DRDO has completed all calculations and started the engineering work.
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SUBMARINE LAUNCHED BALLISTIC MISSILES
SAGARIKA (K-15)
The Sagarika "Oceanic" in Sanskrit is a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) which is the "Jewel in the Crown" for DRDO. Unknown to most Indians the "Super Secret" missile project was pursued with utmost secrecy, perseverance, diligence and hard work by a team of DRDO scientists for more than a decade. There had been speculation that DRDO has been testing such missiles, but questions were always met with staunch denials. The project was called by various names during its period of development such as K-15, Sagarika, Naval Prithvi or the Dhanush. Another astonishing fact is that the scientists had achieved 14 consequent successful tests of this missile system each time augmenting its range before it was revealed to the media at 1:40 pm on 27th January 2013, clearly this news sent shock waves across the region. The nuclear capable SLBM code-named B-05, was fired from an underwater pontoon as it was ejected by a gas generator, simulating a launch from a submarine. Sagarika is 10 meters in length with a total diameter of 0.74 meters and weighs 17 tons, it can carry a payload of up to 1,000 Kg over a 700 Km range. This launch confirms Indian scientists mastery over several exclusive technologies such as safe underwater ejection, mid-air ignition of its primary motor and controlling the missile's ballistic trajectory until it hits the intended target. With this announcement India proved to the world that it had the technological capability to launch a SLBM which in turn reinforces the doctrine of a credible nuclear deterrence and provide a credible secondary retaliatory strikes to launch nuclear missiles from the land, air and sea. India joined a select club of nations US, Russia, France and China in having the capacity to launch a missile from under the sea. The successful test firing of this "City Buster" will enhance the country's second-strike nuclear capability, which is driven by India's long-term goals for maintaining strategic stability in the Asia-Pacific region by deterring potential adversaries. The Sagarika will be used for a quick retaliatory strike and it is now evident that India is nearing completion of a fully operational nuclear triad, a severe debilitation for its enemies, comprising of land-based, air-based, and sea-based systems. The Sagarika will eventually see duty on India's first indigenous nuclear submarine the INS Arihant. Shaurya surface-to-surface missile is the land based variant.
K-4 / K-5
The other missiles in the super-secret Project K-X series is the 'shaped trajectory' K-4 and K-5 missiles named after former President of India, Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The K-4 known as the "Black Project" is also a SLBM and intend to succeed the Sagarika, it was first tested secretly in January 2010. There is no clear details available regarding the development of these missiles since its existence is neither denied nor acknowledged by DRDO. It is reported that it is a variant of the Agni-V ICBM or the Agni-III IRBM. It is assumed that there are three variants of this SLBM one to be 5,000 Km (Mark-II) and the other 3,500 Km (Mark-I) in range, the other being an Air Launched variant with a range of 200 Km. According to The Diplomat, the missile has the advantage of a hypersonic cruise speed and uses a innovative system of weaving in three dimensions as it flies towards its target, making it an exceptionally difficult target for anti-ballistic missile systems and other air defense systems. Other features of the K-4 include its high accuracy, with a near-zero circular error probable (CEP). As per Defense sources the K-4 missile is about 12 meters tall with a diameter of 1.3 meter and weighs around 17 tons. It is capable of carrying a 2 ton warhead and uses solid propellant. The K-5 on the other hand will have a range of 6,000 Km. Both the missiles will see service on the indigenously built India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant in the near future.
A successful test flight of the super secret K-4 SLBM was conducted on March 24 2014 which has a range of over 3,000 Km. The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 meters deep in the sea. The enhanced range over the K-15 Sagarika gives the armed forces a better stand-off attack capability without having to get close to the target thus avoiding undue risks. As per India's "No First Use" policy, underwater deterrence is
the most lethal, reliable and endurable second strike option as nuclear weapons operated underwater are very difficult to detect and target in an event of a annihilative
nuclear attack by the enemy.
Missiles in the K-X Series (Table: Wikipedia)
TYPE
|
RANGE
|
Weight
|
Warhead
|
Length
|
K-15 Sagarika
|
750 Km-1,500 Km
|
6 To 7 tons
|
1 ton
|
10 m
|
K-4 Mark I
|
3,500 Km
|
20 tons
|
2.5 ton
|
10 m
|
K-4 Mark II
|
5,000 Km
|
17 tons
|
1 ton
|
12 m
|
Air Launched
|
200 Km
|
2 tons
|
500 Kg
|
4 m
|
K-5
|
6,000 Km
|
Unspecified
|
1 ton
|
Unspecified
|
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SUPERSONIC CRUISE MISSILES
BRAHMOS
Images: Left: Turbosquid / Right: RIANOVOSTIBrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile manufactured by a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia. BrahMos is a derivative of the Soviet Union/Russian P-800 Oniks known in the export markets as Yakhont. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. It is a two-stage vehicle that has a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ram jet engine for sustained supersonic cruise. The missile can fly at 2.8 to 3.0 times the speed of sound. It can carry warheads up to 200 kg in weight and has a maximum range of 290 km. The missile has the capability of attacking surface targets by flying as low as 10 meters in altitude. The missile can be launched from various platforms such as land, ship, submarine or air. Because of its versatility the missile can be integrated with a wide range of platforms such as warships, submarines, aircraft, mobile autonomous launchers and even silos. Unlike other Cruise missiles in operation BrahMos has the potent and formidable mix of supersonic speed with astonishing accuracy that translates into better target-penetration characteristics and precision strike-power.
BrahMos supersede most subsonic missiles of the world in the following parameters:-
- In Velocity by 3 Times
- In Flight Range by 2.5 to 3 Times
- In Seeker Range by 3 to 4 Times
- In Kill Energy by 9 Times
BrahMos has been integrated with INS Rajput, INS Ranvir, INS Ranvijay, INS Teg, INS Tarkash, INS Trikand, Shivalik Class and Kolkata Class warships of the Indian Navy. Brahmos has been inducted into three regiments (861, 862 and 863) of the Indian Army.
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The Shaurya "Valor" in Sanskrit is a canister based hypersonic highly maneuverable surface-to-surface tactical missile, capable of carrying one ton of conventional sub-munitions, or 17 Kiloton nuclear armed warhead over a range between 700 km with a payload of 1,000 Kg and 1,900 km at 180 Kg. Shaurya is a hybrid missile that has both ballistic and cruise missile characteristics. Shaurya is 10.3 meters in length, with a diameter of 0.8 for the first stage and 0.75 for the second, and a launch weight of 6.2 tons (6.8 short tons). Shaurya can reach a velocity of Mach 7.5 even at low altitudes. The missile offers India a 'second strike' capability, significantly adding to the country's strategic deterrence. Shaurya is the land-based version of the K-15 Sagarika SLBM. It has the capability to reach all major cities in mainland China, like Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai and it can also cover entire Pakistan from off-shore positions in the Arabian Sea. Shaurya is stored in a composite canister, which makes it easy to handle, maintain and transport as a quick reaction tactical weapon. The missile is contained in a gas-filled canister developing 15-200 bar pressure stored inside a submarine hull and uses a two-stage solid propelled motor for launch and take the missile to its intended target. To achieve high accuracy, the missile is capable of performing trajectory corrections using a ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer and on-board state-of-the-art inertial navigation control technologies. The missile has a formidable accuracy of around 20 to 30 meters Circular Error Probable (CEP), contributing effectively both as a conventional and nuclear strike option. DRDO is also developing a longer-range missile, dubbed the K-4, which will have a range of almost 4,000 Km.
Testing
Nirbhay "Dauntless/Fearless" in Sanskrit is a long range, subsonic, nuclear capable cruise missile being developed by DRDO. Nirbhay is an all-weather low-cost long-range cruise missile with stealth and high accuracy. The missile is 6 meters in length, weighs 1 ton, and has a range of 1,000 km. The missile is equipped with a sophisticated ring laser gyroscope for high-accuracy navigation and a radio altimeter for the height determination. It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea and air. The missile will be inducted into all the armed forces. In particular, Nirbhay is built to be adapted for the Indo/Russian Su-30MKI. The two-stage missile Nirbhay will be able to pick out a target and attack it among multiple targets. The missile also has loitering capability, which means it can go round a target, perform several maneuvers, and then re-engage it. With two side wings, the missile is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 500 m to 4 km above the ground and can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection by enemy radars. It would be capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements. The missile will supplement Brahmos by delivering warheads farther than the 290 km range which is Brahmos limitation. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
An Akash battery comprises of four 3D phased array radars and four launchers with three missiles each, all of which are interlinked. Each battery can track up to 64 targets and attack up to 12 of them. It is fully mobile and capable of protecting a moving convoy of vehicles. The launch platform has been integrated with both wheeled and tracked vehicles. While the Akash system has primarily been designed as an air defense SAM, it also has been tested in a missile defense role. The system provides air defense missile coverage for an area of 2,000 km². The Akash is operated by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited & Other Internet Sources)
India has initiated a demonstrable indigenous capability in Theater Ballistic Missile Defense development, a step to predominantly protect India from enemy ballistic missile attacks. Due to a realistic threat perception from its chief adversaries Pakistan and China, the need for a comprehensive and convincing protective cover became imperative. Experts also believe that an effective missile defense infrastructure will provide India space for limited wars against China and Pakistan. China is superior in its force level ballistic missile signature while on the other hand Pakistan's ritual flaunting of its nuclear capability and a belligerent 'First Use' policy left India but with no choice to develop a deterring shield to defuse such a situation. The program consists of a two-tiered architecture consisting of the Prithvi Air Defense (PAD) missile for exo-atmospheric (Outside) and the Advanced Air Defense (AAD) Missile for endo-atmospheric (Inside) interception. The two-tier system is intended to intercept ballistic missiles at distances of over 600 km. In the Phase-1 Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program, at present, interceptors fly at 4.5 Mach supersonic speeds to intercept enemy missiles meant to tackle hostile missiles with a 2,000 Km strike range. The Phase-2 BMD program will intercept Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) with 5,000 plus Km range with interceptors flying at Mach 6-7 hypersonic speeds. The third layer is planned to tackle low-flying cruise missiles, artillery projectiles and rockets in line with the overall aim to achieve “near 100% kill or interception probability”. The deployed system will consist of multiple launch vehicles, support equipment such as "Swordfish" Long Range Tracking Radar, Launch Control Centers (LCC) and the Master Mission Control Center (MCC). These systems will be geographically distributed evenly to cover vulnerable locations such as metropolises, defense industries, defense bases, nuclear installations, weapons stations etc., and will be connected by a sophisticated secure communication network.
PRITHVI DEFENSE VEHICLE (PDV)
The Prithvi Defense Vehicle (PDV) is the deployment variant of the PAD system. The PDV is a two-stage interceptor powered by solid propellants.
Testing
In a significant milestone, DRDO 27th April 2014 successfully carried out its maiden PDV mission meeting the mission objectives. PDV just like the PAD mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at about more than 120 km altitude. The PDV will replace the existing PAD in the PAD/AAD combination. Both, the PDV interceptor and the two-stage target equipped with motors were specially developed for the PDV mission. The target was developed for mimicking a hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2,000 km away and launched from a Ship in the Bay of Bengal. In an automated operation, radar based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from Radars predicted the Trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile. PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception. Once the Missile crossed atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the Infrared (IR) Seeker dome opened to seek the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker, the Missile moved for interception. The Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations, monitored all events in real-time. The mission was completed and the interception parameters were achieved. (DRDO Press Release)
ADVANCED AIR DEFENSE (AAD)
Advanced Air Defense (AAD) "Ashvin" is a supersonic anti-ballistic missile designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in the endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km (19 miles). AAD is single stage, solid fueled missile. Guidance is similar to that of PAD: it has an inertial navigation system, mid-course updates from ground based radar and active radar homing in the terminal phase. It is 7.5 m (25 ft) tall, weighs around 1.2 t (1.2 long tons; 1.3 short tons) and a diameter of less than 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in).
How it Works
During an actual test, Long Range Tracking Radar and Multi-function Fire Control Radar located at a distance can detect and track the enemy missile right from take-off and through its entire trajectory. The total trajectory of the incoming Missile will be continuously estimated by the guidance computer and subsequently the AAD Missile will be launched at an appropriate time to counter and kill the enemy missile. The AAD system, will be initially guided by the Inertial Navigation system, and get intermittent updates of the target position via high-tech radar through a communication data link. The Radio Frequency (RF) seeker tracks the intruding missile and the on-board computer guides the interceptor towards the target then the Radio Proximity Fuse (RPF) triggers the warhead thereby destroying the target completely. The Fiber Optic Gyro based Inertial Navigation System in the interceptor, on board computers, guidance systems, actuation systems and the critical RF Seekers used for the terminal phase have been developed indigenously.
Testing
HYPERSONIC CRUISE MISSILES
SHAURYA
Images: DRDO
The Shaurya "Valor" in Sanskrit is a canister based hypersonic highly maneuverable surface-to-surface tactical missile, capable of carrying one ton of conventional sub-munitions, or 17 Kiloton nuclear armed warhead over a range between 700 km with a payload of 1,000 Kg and 1,900 km at 180 Kg. Shaurya is a hybrid missile that has both ballistic and cruise missile characteristics. Shaurya is 10.3 meters in length, with a diameter of 0.8 for the first stage and 0.75 for the second, and a launch weight of 6.2 tons (6.8 short tons). Shaurya can reach a velocity of Mach 7.5 even at low altitudes. The missile offers India a 'second strike' capability, significantly adding to the country's strategic deterrence. Shaurya is the land-based version of the K-15 Sagarika SLBM. It has the capability to reach all major cities in mainland China, like Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai and it can also cover entire Pakistan from off-shore positions in the Arabian Sea. Shaurya is stored in a composite canister, which makes it easy to handle, maintain and transport as a quick reaction tactical weapon. The missile is contained in a gas-filled canister developing 15-200 bar pressure stored inside a submarine hull and uses a two-stage solid propelled motor for launch and take the missile to its intended target. To achieve high accuracy, the missile is capable of performing trajectory corrections using a ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer and on-board state-of-the-art inertial navigation control technologies. The missile has a formidable accuracy of around 20 to 30 meters Circular Error Probable (CEP), contributing effectively both as a conventional and nuclear strike option. DRDO is also developing a longer-range missile, dubbed the K-4, which will have a range of almost 4,000 Km.
Testing
- Shaurya was first test fired on November 12, 2008. The missile was launched from an underground facility with an in-built canister.
- The missile was successfully test-fired on 24 September 2011, in its final configuration. The missile flew at 7.5 Mach and covered its full range of 700 km in 500 seconds.
BRAHMOS-II
BrahMos Mark II is a hypersonic cruise missile currently under joint development by India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia. It is the second of the BrahMos series of cruise missiles. The BrahMos-II is expected to have a range of 290 Km (180 mi) and a speed of Mach 7. During the cruise stage of flight the missile will be propelled by a scramjet air-breathing jet engine. Other details, including production cost and physical dimensions of the missile, are yet to be published. It is expected to be ready for testing by 2017. The planned operational range of the BrahMos-II has been restricted to 290 Km (180 mi) as Russia is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which prohibits it from helping other countries develop missiles with ranges above 300 Km (190 mi). Its top speed will be double that of the current BrahMos-I, and it has been described as the fastest cruise missile in the world. Design of multiple variants of the missile was completed by October 2011, with testing starting in 2012. These variants will arm the Project 15B destroyers of the Indian Navy. Fourth-generation multi-purpose Russian Naval destroyers (Project 21956) are also likely to be equipped with the BrahMos II. (Text: Wikipedia)
HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR VEHICLE (HSTDV)
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight (Mach 6.5). The HSTDV program is run by the DRDO. India is pushing ahead with the development of ground and flight test hardware as part of an ambitious plan for a hypersonic cruise missile. The Defense Research and Development Laboratory’s (DRDL) Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 seconds using a solid rocket launch booster. The research will also inform India’s interest in reusable launch vehicles. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6.5 at an altitude of 32.5 km. (20 miles). Initial flight testing is aimed at validating the aerodynamics of the air vehicle, as well as its thermal properties and scramjet engine performance. DRDL engineers aim to begin flight testing a full-scale air-breathing model powered by a 1,300-lb.-thrust scramjet engine in the near future. The 1 ton, 5.6 meter (18-feet) long vehicle under construction features a flattened octagonal cross section with mid-body stub-wings and raked tail fins and a 3.7-meter rectangular section air intake. The scramjet engine is located under the mid-body, with the aft-body serving as part of the exhaust nozzle. Development work on the engine is also in progress. Two parallel fences in the fore-body are meant to reduce spillage and increase thrust. Part span flaps are provided at the trailing edge of the wings for roll control. A deflectable nozzle cowl at the combustor end can deflect up to 25 degrees to ensure satisfactory performance during power-off and power-on phases. Surfaces of the bottom air-frame, wings and tail are made of titanium alloy, while aluminum alloy comprises the top surface. The inner surface of the double-wall engine is niobium alloy and the outer surface is nimonic alloy. Due to technology denial of materials for the scramjet engine, a new program was initiated and the materials were developed in-house. This led to self sufficiency in the area and the scramjet engine was ground tested successfully for 20 seconds instead of the initial 3 seconds.
Scientists have proved technologies for aerodynamics, aero-thermodynamics, engine and hot structures through design and ground testing. Going ahead tests will be done to realize mechanical and electrical integration, control and guidance system along with their packaging, checkout system, hardware in loop simulation (HILS) and launch readiness. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
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Image: DRDO
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight (Mach 6.5). The HSTDV program is run by the DRDO. India is pushing ahead with the development of ground and flight test hardware as part of an ambitious plan for a hypersonic cruise missile. The Defense Research and Development Laboratory’s (DRDL) Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 seconds using a solid rocket launch booster. The research will also inform India’s interest in reusable launch vehicles. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6.5 at an altitude of 32.5 km. (20 miles). Initial flight testing is aimed at validating the aerodynamics of the air vehicle, as well as its thermal properties and scramjet engine performance. DRDL engineers aim to begin flight testing a full-scale air-breathing model powered by a 1,300-lb.-thrust scramjet engine in the near future. The 1 ton, 5.6 meter (18-feet) long vehicle under construction features a flattened octagonal cross section with mid-body stub-wings and raked tail fins and a 3.7-meter rectangular section air intake. The scramjet engine is located under the mid-body, with the aft-body serving as part of the exhaust nozzle. Development work on the engine is also in progress. Two parallel fences in the fore-body are meant to reduce spillage and increase thrust. Part span flaps are provided at the trailing edge of the wings for roll control. A deflectable nozzle cowl at the combustor end can deflect up to 25 degrees to ensure satisfactory performance during power-off and power-on phases. Surfaces of the bottom air-frame, wings and tail are made of titanium alloy, while aluminum alloy comprises the top surface. The inner surface of the double-wall engine is niobium alloy and the outer surface is nimonic alloy. Due to technology denial of materials for the scramjet engine, a new program was initiated and the materials were developed in-house. This led to self sufficiency in the area and the scramjet engine was ground tested successfully for 20 seconds instead of the initial 3 seconds.
Scientists have proved technologies for aerodynamics, aero-thermodynamics, engine and hot structures through design and ground testing. Going ahead tests will be done to realize mechanical and electrical integration, control and guidance system along with their packaging, checkout system, hardware in loop simulation (HILS) and launch readiness. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
SUBSONIC CRUISE MISSILE
NIRBHAY
Image: DRDO
Nirbhay "Dauntless/Fearless" in Sanskrit is a long range, subsonic, nuclear capable cruise missile being developed by DRDO. Nirbhay is an all-weather low-cost long-range cruise missile with stealth and high accuracy. The missile is 6 meters in length, weighs 1 ton, and has a range of 1,000 km. The missile is equipped with a sophisticated ring laser gyroscope for high-accuracy navigation and a radio altimeter for the height determination. It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea and air. The missile will be inducted into all the armed forces. In particular, Nirbhay is built to be adapted for the Indo/Russian Su-30MKI. The two-stage missile Nirbhay will be able to pick out a target and attack it among multiple targets. The missile also has loitering capability, which means it can go round a target, perform several maneuvers, and then re-engage it. With two side wings, the missile is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 500 m to 4 km above the ground and can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection by enemy radars. It would be capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements. The missile will supplement Brahmos by delivering warheads farther than the 290 km range which is Brahmos limitation. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited)
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ANTI TANK GUIDED MISSILE
NAG ATGM
Image: DRDO
Nag "Cobra" in Hindi is a third generation, all weather, top-attack, "fire-and-forget" anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) developed by DRDO. The Nag is among the most complex weapon systems developed by DRDO.
How the NAG ATGM Works
The Nag missile gunner scans the battlefield for enemy tanks with thermal imaging telescopes, which pick up targets by either day or night. Then the Nag gunner locks on the automatic target tracker in the missile by sending a lock-on-before-launch command to the missile. When the system is locked-on, the missile is ready to fire and the gunner does not carry out post launch tracking or missile guidance. Unlike conventional wire guided, fiber-optic cable guided, or laser beam riding missiles, Nag is autonomously guided to the target after launch, leaving the gunner free to reposition or reload immediately after launch. This is known as a “fire-and-forget” operations. As the Nag barrels towards the target at great speed, the seeker takes repeated snapshots of the target and each one is compared with the previous image. Any deviations are translated into corrections to the Nag’s control fins, which autonomously steer the missile to hit even a fast-moving tank accurately. Research Centre Imarat (RCI), is developing a seeker that can work through the hottest desert temperatures. This will feature an improved Focal Plane Array (FPA) system, which is a detector on the missile tip that picks up the target’s infrared signal. This enhancement is being undertaken because for most of the day and night situations the Nag infallibly strikes its targets up to four Km however, in extreme heat while operating in the desert, the missile cannot pick up targets beyond 2.5 Km. Once the temperature cools, the Nag’s seeker differentiates again between the target and surrounding objects. Apart from the Imaging Infrared seeker (IIR - Cadmium Zinc Telluride based) the missile is equipped with a Millimetric Wave (mmW) seeker as an optional device, there is also Charge Coupled Device camera (optical device) employed in the guidance system. Unlike the American Javelin and the Israeli Spike missiles, Nag's optical guidance system makes it virtually jam-proof. Another unique feature of this missile is it uses a Tandem solid Propulsion fuel comprising of Nitramine based smokeless extruded double base sustainer, resultantly the plume is visible only during the first second of the flight, as the missile's booster imparts 90% of the velocity, thereafter, a sustainer maintains the missile's speed, burning the smokeless propellant that is almost invisible. The Nag uses a highly potent HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) warhead to penetrate the armor found in modern tanks. The Nag will replace the existing Russian Konkours and European Milan ATGM's, both of which are manufactured under license by Bharat Dynamics. HELINA (Helicopter launched Nag) is the aerial version of the Nag missile.
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SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE
AKASH SAM
Images: DRDO
The Akash "Sky" or "Ether" in Sanskrit is a mobile all-weather medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM). It provides multi-directional and multi-target point area defense which can simultaneously engage several air targets in a fully autonomous mode of operation. The strategic objective of the program is to build and develop its own research and production base, which could provide the country's armed forces sufficiently effective weapon systems. The missile was developed to replace the Russian 2K12 Kub missile system, currently in service. It has a launch weight of 720 kg, a diameter of 35 cm and a length of 5.78 meters. Akash flies at supersonic speed, reaching around Mach 2.5. It can reach an altitude of 18 km and can be fired from both tracked and wheeled platforms. For pitch and yaw control four clipped triangular moving wings are mounted on the mid-body. For roll control four inline clipped delta fins with ailerons are mounted before the tail. A solid motor provides the initial acceleration and then an integral ramjet propulsion unit takes over doubling its speed. The ramjet engine works on solid fuel, which includes cellulose nitrate, nitroglycerin and powdered magnesium and the oxidizing agent used is atmospheric oxygen. Akash is equipped with a switchable guidance antenna system, a command guidance unit, an on-board power supply, a system arming and detonation mechanism, digital autopilot, radars and C4I centers (C4I-Center provides operators with a fully featured dispatch command and control system that can be expanded from the smallest single site system to the largest multi-site inter-agency and national system). An on-board guidance system coupled with an actuator system makes the missile maneuverable up to 15g loads and a tail chase capability for end game engagement. A digital proximity fuse is coupled with a 60 kg high-explosive, pre-fragmented warhead, while the safety arming and detonation mechanism enables a controlled detonation sequence. A self-destruct device is also integrated. The Missile has command guidance in its entire flight.
The hardware and software integration of various weapon system elements permits automated management of air defense functions such as programmable surveillance, target detection, target acquisition, tracking, identification, threat evaluation, prioritization, assignment and engagement. All the Radars, Command control centers, launchers are integrated to achieve these functionalities. The system is designed to enable integration with other air defense command and control networks through secure communication links. The system is also provided with advanced Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) features at various levels. The system is modular and mobile with all its components including launchers either wheeled truck or trailer mounted. Good lateral acceleration capability of missile till intercept provides high maneuverability and capability against high performance air targets, such as tactical strike aircraft, bombers, high altitude reconnaissance airplanes and armed helicopters. Equipped with multi-function phased array radar with tracking utilizing the modern electronic technology, the system has significant resistance to many kinds of active and passive jamming. All air defense functions such as classification, threat evaluation, prioritization and missile launch are automated, by virtue of usage of state of the art computation platforms and software. The system is configurable to adapt to future requirements.
The Indian Army successfully test fired the missile at a very low altitude near the boundary on 18th June 2014. The trial flight was the last among the validation trials being carried out by the Army, proving the system capability against subsonic cruise missiles. Special algorithms and techniques for overcoming the multiple target reflections coming from the sea worked perfectly in the mission. With this flight trial and the system is being delivered for induction. The indigenous development, production and induction of Akash weapon system is a significant contribution to India’s self-reliance in air defense technologies.
The hardware and software integration of various weapon system elements permits automated management of air defense functions such as programmable surveillance, target detection, target acquisition, tracking, identification, threat evaluation, prioritization, assignment and engagement. All the Radars, Command control centers, launchers are integrated to achieve these functionalities. The system is designed to enable integration with other air defense command and control networks through secure communication links. The system is also provided with advanced Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) features at various levels. The system is modular and mobile with all its components including launchers either wheeled truck or trailer mounted. Good lateral acceleration capability of missile till intercept provides high maneuverability and capability against high performance air targets, such as tactical strike aircraft, bombers, high altitude reconnaissance airplanes and armed helicopters. Equipped with multi-function phased array radar with tracking utilizing the modern electronic technology, the system has significant resistance to many kinds of active and passive jamming. All air defense functions such as classification, threat evaluation, prioritization and missile launch are automated, by virtue of usage of state of the art computation platforms and software. The system is configurable to adapt to future requirements.
The Indian Army successfully test fired the missile at a very low altitude near the boundary on 18th June 2014. The trial flight was the last among the validation trials being carried out by the Army, proving the system capability against subsonic cruise missiles. Special algorithms and techniques for overcoming the multiple target reflections coming from the sea worked perfectly in the mission. With this flight trial and the system is being delivered for induction. The indigenous development, production and induction of Akash weapon system is a significant contribution to India’s self-reliance in air defense technologies.
An Akash battery comprises of four 3D phased array radars and four launchers with three missiles each, all of which are interlinked. Each battery can track up to 64 targets and attack up to 12 of them. It is fully mobile and capable of protecting a moving convoy of vehicles. The launch platform has been integrated with both wheeled and tracked vehicles. While the Akash system has primarily been designed as an air defense SAM, it also has been tested in a missile defense role. The system provides air defense missile coverage for an area of 2,000 km². The Akash is operated by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. (Text: Wikipedia - Edited & Other Internet Sources)
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BEYOND VISUAL RANGE AIR TO AIR MISSILE
ASTRA
Astra "Weapon" in Sanskrit is India's first all aspect, all weather, multi-target capable, active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) being developed by DRDO. The single stage, solid fueled state-of-the-art missile is more advanced than any other contemporary BVR missiles currently in operation in the world and is capable of engaging and destroying highly maneuverable supersonic aerial targets. Modern day air combat is predominantly focused on Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat scenarios, rather than the dogfights of the past and missiles with ranges of over 40 km are becoming the standard requirement. Development of an indigenous air-to-air missile will be cheap to deploy when compared to prohibitively expensive imported units. The missile is expected to be integrated with the existing combat/deep penetration launch platforms such as the Tejas LCA, Sukhoi-30MKI, Mig-29, Jaguar and Mirage-2000 fighters. However, BVR missiles are inherently very complex and challenging to develop since several technologies have to be realized and perfected before active deployment such as ramjet propulsion for enhanced kinematic performance, radar acquisition and guidance, accompanying software for main and subsystems, inertial navigation systems, mid-course internal guidance dynamics, electronic counter-measures of enemy radars and terminal active homing radar seekers. The missile also incorporates technologies such as ceramic radome, fin control actuation system, on-board power supply, laser proximity sensing, smokeless propulsion system, state-of-the-art Electronic-counter measures and digital data communication via MIL-STD 1553 Bus. The function of the multi-function mono-pulse Doppler active radar seeker are acquisition search, lock-on and tracking of moving target using prelaunch target designation from Radars, angle coordinates as well as target angular rates and missile-to-target closing measures, reception and decoding signals, transfer of signals to communication module for missile control, independent missile flight without external radar dependency and inertial correction over secure data-link. The missile is 3.8 meters long and weighs 154 Kg with a diameter of 0.18 meters and a wingspan of 0.254 meters. It carries a 15 kg High Explosive fragmentation directional warhead activated by radar proximity fuse as the detonation mechanism. It uses solid fuel rocket motors and has an operational range of 80 to 110 km with a flight ceiling of 66,000 feet and it flies at Mach 4+ (4,780 Km/h). The development of the missile was beset with several problems as it was repeatedly failing since the aerodynamically controlled interactions were very severe. DRDO had to change the entire missile configuration. In December 2012, the missile had demonstrated three consecutive trials by successfully intercepting the targets, its carriage trials with Sukhoi-30 aircraft were completed in early December 2013. Before being made fully operational, the complex missile system will undergo some more trials, though tests of its navigation, control, air frame, propulsion and other sub-system have been already validated. Once qualified, the production of this indigenous missile will cross an important Rubicon for India's air combat capabilities.
News Update
Image: DRDO
News Update
- The indigenously-developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Astra missile was successfully test-fired by the Indian Air Force from a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft off the Goa coast on 20th June 2014 to demonstrate interception of a simulated target. This was the second successful firing of the missile from a Su-30MKI in as many as 12 days. Another launch was conducted on June 9 from an altitude of five km to check the missile’s aerodynamics and stability. The missile was fired from an altitude of 6.8 km against a simulated long-range target 65 km away in a controlled and guided flight. All parameters, like the guidance of the missile towards the target during the terminal phase, were validated in the mission. The demonstration of the long-range interception proved that Astra was on par with similar missiles of its class in the world. Both tests have demonstrated the repeatability, robustness and endurance capability of Astra as a weapon system.
- India flexed its military muscles on 4th May 2014 on the western front where one of the Army’s strike corps showcased its battle-readiness and defense scientists successfully carried out the first flight-testing of the air-to-air, beyond visual range missile Astra. “Astra was successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force on May 4 from a Naval range in the western sector meeting all the mission objectives,” a statement from the DRDO said. The mark-I missile, launched from a Su-30 fighter jet, has a range of more than 60 km. (via Deccan Herald -> Continue Reading)
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM
Images: DRDO
INTRODUCTIONIndia has initiated a demonstrable indigenous capability in Theater Ballistic Missile Defense development, a step to predominantly protect India from enemy ballistic missile attacks. Due to a realistic threat perception from its chief adversaries Pakistan and China, the need for a comprehensive and convincing protective cover became imperative. Experts also believe that an effective missile defense infrastructure will provide India space for limited wars against China and Pakistan. China is superior in its force level ballistic missile signature while on the other hand Pakistan's ritual flaunting of its nuclear capability and a belligerent 'First Use' policy left India but with no choice to develop a deterring shield to defuse such a situation. The program consists of a two-tiered architecture consisting of the Prithvi Air Defense (PAD) missile for exo-atmospheric (Outside) and the Advanced Air Defense (AAD) Missile for endo-atmospheric (Inside) interception. The two-tier system is intended to intercept ballistic missiles at distances of over 600 km. In the Phase-1 Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program, at present, interceptors fly at 4.5 Mach supersonic speeds to intercept enemy missiles meant to tackle hostile missiles with a 2,000 Km strike range. The Phase-2 BMD program will intercept Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) with 5,000 plus Km range with interceptors flying at Mach 6-7 hypersonic speeds. The third layer is planned to tackle low-flying cruise missiles, artillery projectiles and rockets in line with the overall aim to achieve “near 100% kill or interception probability”. The deployed system will consist of multiple launch vehicles, support equipment such as "Swordfish" Long Range Tracking Radar, Launch Control Centers (LCC) and the Master Mission Control Center (MCC). These systems will be geographically distributed evenly to cover vulnerable locations such as metropolises, defense industries, defense bases, nuclear installations, weapons stations etc., and will be connected by a sophisticated secure communication network.
PRITHVI DEFENSE VEHICLE (PDV)
The Prithvi Defense Vehicle (PDV) is the deployment variant of the PAD system. The PDV is a two-stage interceptor powered by solid propellants.
Testing
In a significant milestone, DRDO 27th April 2014 successfully carried out its maiden PDV mission meeting the mission objectives. PDV just like the PAD mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at about more than 120 km altitude. The PDV will replace the existing PAD in the PAD/AAD combination. Both, the PDV interceptor and the two-stage target equipped with motors were specially developed for the PDV mission. The target was developed for mimicking a hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2,000 km away and launched from a Ship in the Bay of Bengal. In an automated operation, radar based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from Radars predicted the Trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile. PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception. Once the Missile crossed atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the Infrared (IR) Seeker dome opened to seek the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker, the Missile moved for interception. The Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations, monitored all events in real-time. The mission was completed and the interception parameters were achieved. (DRDO Press Release)
ADVANCED AIR DEFENSE (AAD)
Images: DRDO
How it Works
During an actual test, Long Range Tracking Radar and Multi-function Fire Control Radar located at a distance can detect and track the enemy missile right from take-off and through its entire trajectory. The total trajectory of the incoming Missile will be continuously estimated by the guidance computer and subsequently the AAD Missile will be launched at an appropriate time to counter and kill the enemy missile. The AAD system, will be initially guided by the Inertial Navigation system, and get intermittent updates of the target position via high-tech radar through a communication data link. The Radio Frequency (RF) seeker tracks the intruding missile and the on-board computer guides the interceptor towards the target then the Radio Proximity Fuse (RPF) triggers the warhead thereby destroying the target completely. The Fiber Optic Gyro based Inertial Navigation System in the interceptor, on board computers, guidance systems, actuation systems and the critical RF Seekers used for the terminal phase have been developed indigenously.
Testing
- On 6 December 2007, AAD successfully intercepted a modified Prithvi-II missile acting as an incoming ballistic missile enemy target. The endo-atmospheric interception was carried out at an altitude of 15 km (9.3 mi). The interceptor and all the elements performed in a copy book fashion validating the endo-atmospheric layer of the defense system.
- On 15 March 2010, AAD interceptor missile test was aborted, as the target missile deviated from its path and plunged into the sea.
- On 26 July 2010, AAD was successfully test-fired.
- On 6 March 2011, India launched its indigenously developed interceptor missile which destroyed a 'hostile' target ballistic missile, a modified Prithvi, at an altitude of 16 km over the Bay of Bengal. the interceptor, Advanced Air Defense (AAD) missile received signals from tracking radars installed along the coastline and traveled through the sky at a speed of 4.5 Mach to destroy it. As the trial was aimed at achieving the desired result with precision, the interceptor missile had its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.
- On 10 February 2012, AAD was again successfully test-fired.
- On 23 November 2012, AAD was again successfully test-fired. In this mission, the complex feature of intercepting multiple targets with multiple interceptor was demonstrated successfully. The sophisticated Radar Systems, Communication Network, Launch Computers, Target update Systems and state-of-the-art Avionics have been completely proven in this mission. American missile defense systems like the Patriot Advanced Capability-3, Aegis BMD-3 and THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense/ formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense), as also Russian S-400 Triumf and Israeli Iron Dome, are not fully fool proof as of now and further efforts are on to perfect them. (AAD Text - Wikipedia - Edited)
- Firstly, qualitatively it is risky to predict a positive outcome of the current anti missile capabilities since it involves high costs and technological complexities to demonstrate definitive target termination ratification, since a 2000 km range ballistic missile launched in the regular trajectory will have high velocity of more than Mach 9-10, such a scenario has not been tested yet, because unfortunately India at present does not have any missile which would mimic such a target vehicle at this range. It may be also inferred that DRDO may be constrained to conduct such tests on account of range limitations.
- To derive the capacity to produce a desired effect more exo-atmospheric interception tests should be done to validate the overall performance of a decisive upper layer termination (PDV) which would proportionately reduce the burden on the lower tire (AAD).
- Deployment of BMD system should not be done in haste as it would be wiser to deploy after this system is fully tested under various realistic simulated conditions such as inclement weather circumstances, protracted testing profile, Automated classification, threat evaluation, prioritization and missile launch functions, clustered air environment (to discriminate actual target) and situational awareness to avoid friendly fire.
- In the India-Pakistan contest, the nuclear blackmail edge, which the latter advocated, has since been eroded as India made the move to cleverly build a strategically credible redundant terminal defense system to provide effective protection for multiple target probabilities, however the risks still persists. As far as China-India strategic equation is concerned, an all out conventional war is predicted as a convention however, a resultant nuclear conflagration as a hypothesis cannot be ruled out which enforces the need to strengthen India's defense security because of China's qualitative (MIRV capability) and quantitative missile superiority.
