Missile Technology in India
HISTORY
The use of missiles in India began in the Ancient period, where the missile was called as ASTRA.
The scriptures and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have mentioned about the missiles which are controlled by mantras, which can be related to modern day missile’s mission control software.
The world’s first rocket was used by Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore war against the British in 18th century AD.
The missiles/rockets used by Tipu Sultan were made of Bamboo or steel spears, cast iron chamber as propellant and gunpowder as the warhead.
During British rule, the missile development technology was left behind due to various factors like colonialism, lack of resources, lack of research capabilities, etc.,
AFTER INDEPENDENCE
The development of anti-tank missiles and sounding rockets had started from Hyderabad based Defence R & D Lab (DRDL) in the 1960s.
The anti-tank missile prototypes flight tested by the army, which is built by the lab to counter the Cobra missiles of Pakistan Army supplied by the US, which took a heavy toll of Indian tanks in 1965 war.
In 1969, the Indian Air Force initiated a project to reverse engineer the Soviet Union's SA-75 SAM, because the Soviet Union was not supplying spares in adequate quantities. This venture, called "Project Devil", never came to production, but allowed the DRDL to build the know-how that eventually gave birth to the Akash missile.
The indigenous missile development post-independence started with the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). This programme was headed by former President and Scientist Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. The main focus was to build an indigenous capability ballistic missile and launch vehicle Technology.
Under Integrated Guided Missile Development programme the first missile test-fires was Prithvi in 1988 and Agni in 1989.
To develop the technologies, the materials, the sub-systems, the testing facilities public sector firms with independent research laboratories were set up throughout the country to become self-reliant.
In 1983, The semiconductor complex limited (SCL) was established in Chandigarh with its research lab. This reduced the import of Guidance chip which are used in missile technology development.
Both Strategic and tactical range of missiles have been developed under the IGMDP and was delivered to the military.
The development of Ballistic Missiles was started with Prithvi, Agni, Dhanush and continued further to Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) in the Agni Series (AGNI – V; AGNI – VI).
This intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with a range of over 5000 km, will carry a massive three-tonne payload.
It will consist of several multiple, independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), each one capable of being aimed at a different target.
Each warhead - termed manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle (MARV) - will perform evasive manoeuvres as it hurtles down towards its target, making it difficult for enemy air defence systems to shoot it down.
The subsidiary missile development along with the Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs) started with K – Series Missile development programme which delivered the Submarine Launch Ballistic Missiles(SLBM).
The missiles developed under this programme were Sagarika (K-15), K-4 and K-5. The missile Shaurya which is a hybrid missile that has both Ballistic and Cruise missile profile.
The development of anti-ballistic missiles was started with the Indian Ballistic Missile Development Programme (IBMDP), which developed a series of missiles like Prithvi Air Defence(PAD), Advanced Air Defence (AAD), etc.,
The development of cruise missile was started with BrahMos which is a Collaborative project with the Russia.
CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN MISSILES
Based on Type
Cruise missile
Ballistic Missile
Quasi-Ballistic Missile
(a) CRUISE MISSILE
Cruise missiles are guided unmanned missiles and are used against the targets within atmosphere i.e. terrestrial targets. Jet Engine is mostly used for the aerodynamic lift.
They are low-level flights which can be launched from land, air and water.
Based on speed the cruise missiles are classified into – Subsonic, Supersonic and Hypersonic.
Example: BrahMos, Nirbhay
SUBSONIC
These missiles travel at the speed of less than 1 Mach number, less than the speed of sound.
Example: Nirbhay
SUPERSONIC
These missiles travel at the speed between 2 – 3 Mach Number
Example: Brahmos
HYPERSONIC
These missiles at a speed more than 5 Mach Number. They travel 5 times more than the speed of sound.
Example: Brahmos II (not yet launched)
Note-
Mach number- It is the ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium.
(b) BALLISTIC MISSILES
The flight path of the ballistic missile is characterised with Ballistic trajectory.
Ballistic missiles can be launched from land and sea-based systems.
During the ascend it takes high arch trajectory and falls freely during descend.
Example: Agni, Prithvi, etc.
Based on Launch Mode
Surface to Surface
Surface to Air
Air to Air
Air to Surface
Surface to Sea
Anti-tank missiles
Based on Range
Short range missiles
Medium range missiles
Intermediate range missiles
Inter-Continental ballistic missiles
Based on Propulsion
Solid propulsion
Liquid propulsion
Hybrid propulsion
Ramjet
Scramjet
Cryogenic
Based on warhead
Conventional
Strategic (Nuclear)
Based on Guidance System
Wire guidance
Command Guidance
Inertial Guidance
Terrestrial Guidance
Laser Guidance
RF and GPS guidance
IMPORTANT MISSILES OF INDIA
MISSILE
PROJECT
TYPE
LAUNCH MODE
RANGE
PROPULSION
GUIDANCE SYSTEM
WARHEAD
AGNI I
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface Missile
Medium Range (700 – 1250) km
1 stage – Solid Propellants
Ring Laser Gyro – Inertial Navigation System
Conventional and Nuclear warhead
AGNI II
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Intermediate Range (2000 – 2500) km
2 stage – Solid Propellants
Ring Laser Gyro – Inertial Navigation System
Conventional and Nuclear
AGNI III
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Intermediate Range (3000 – 5000) km
2 stage – Solid Propellants
Ring Laser Gyro – Inertial Navigation System
Conventional, Thermobaric and Nuclear
AGNI IV
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Intermediate Range (4000) km
2 stage – Solid Propellants
Ring Laser Gyro – Inertial Navigation System
Conventional, Thermobaric and Nuclear
AGNI V
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Inter-Continental (5000 – 8000) km
3 stage – all Solid Propellants
Ring Laser Gyro – Inertial Navigation System
Nuclear
PRITHVI I
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Short Range – 150 km
1 stage – liquid Propellant
Strap-down – Inertial Guidance
Chemical, Nuclear (interchangeable warheads)
PRITHVI II
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Short Range (150 – 350) km
1 stage – liquid Propellant
Strap-down – Inertial Guidance
Chemical, Nuclear (interchangeable warheads)
PRITHVI III
IGMDP
Ballistic Missile
Surface to Surface
Short range (350 – 650) km
1 stage – Solid Propellant
Strap-down – Inertial Guidance
Chemical, Nuclear (interchangeable warheads)
AKASH
IGMDP
Ballistic
Surface to Air (mobile)
Short Range – 30 km
Integral Rocket motor
Command Guidance
Explosive
TRISHUL
IGMDP
Ballistic
Surface to Air
Short range – 10 km
1 stage – Solid
Explosive
NAG
IGMDP
Anti – Tank Guided missile
500 m to 4 km (air-launched)
Tandem Solid Propulsion
Active imaging Infrared Seeker
Tandem warhead
AMOGHA
Anti – Tank missile
Short Range
Tandem warhead
PRAHAAR
Ballistic
Surface to Surface
Short range – 150 km
Solid Propellant
Inertial navigation
Conventional or Nuclear
DHANUSH
Naval variant of Prithvi
Ballistic
Surface to Surface
350 km
1 stage – liquid propellant
Strap Down -inertial Guidance
Chemical, Nuclear (interchangeable warheads)
SHAURYA
Hybrid missile development
Ballistic and Cruise
Surface to Air
Short range (25 – 30) km
Thrust Vector Control
Terminal guidance
Conventional or Nuclear
SAGARIKA (K-15)
K – Series
Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)
Submarine launched
Short range 700 – 1000 km
2 – stage Solid propellant
IRNSS
K -4
K – Series
SLBM
Submarine Launched
Intermediate Range – 3500ckm
Solid Fuelled
Ring Laser Gyro Inertial navigation system
Nuclear warhead
K- 5
K – Series
SLBM
Submarine Launched
5000 km
Solid Fuel
Nuclear
BARAK – 8
India – Israel
Ballistic
Surface to Air
Long range
2 stage – pulsed rocket motor
RF/IIR
Conventional or Nuclear
ASTRA
DRDO
Beyond Visual range missile
Air to Air
Short range – 80 km
Solid Fuel Rocket
Inertial Guidance system
Directional (fragmented) warhead
PRITHVI AIR DEFENCE
Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme (IBMDP)
Anti-Ballistic
Exo-Atmospheric
2000 km
2 stage;
1st – liquid;
2nd – Solid
Inertial Navigation System
ADVANCED AIR DEFENCE (AAD)
IBMDP
Anti-Ballistic
Endo-Atmospheric
Altitude – 120 km
1 stage – solid
Inertial Navigation System
Explosive
PRITHVI DEFENCE VEHICLE (PDV)
IBMDP
Anti-Ballistic
Exo-Atmospheric
Altitude – 30 km
2 stage – Solid
Inertial navigation System
BRAHMOS
India – Russia
Cruise Missile
Surface to Surface
Supersonic – 290 km
2 stage;
1st – Solid;
2nd – Liquid;
INS terminal Guidance
Conventional or Nuclear
BRAHMOS – II
India – Russia
Cruise Missile
Surface to Surface
400 – 650 km
Scramjet
INS terminal Guidance
Conventional or Nuclear
NIRBHAY
Cruise
Subsonic – 1000 km
Rocket Booster
INS IRNSS
Conventional or Nuclear
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