Science and Technology in Modern India-VI

Defense Technology - I

• The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was set up in 1958.
• It is the supreme body of researching, monitoring, regulating, and administering the India Defence Research and Development Program.
• At present, DRDO is a network of more than 50 laboratories located in different cities of the country.

Air Defence

• The development of missile technology in India started in the 1960s.
• The first successful testing of space-cum-missile technology was the Rohini-75, which was tested in 1967.
• In 1970s, the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) undertook the Project Devil and Project Valiant.
• The Project Devil was aimed to produce short range surface-to-air missile.
• The project Valiant was aimed to produce long-range ballistic missile.
• But both Projects were considered failures.
• Project Valiant was terminated in 1974 and Project Devil ended in 1980.
• The research and development program of developing indigenous missiles was called the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program’ (IGMDP).
• The project started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Abdul Kalam.
• He decided that DRDL would pursue multiple projects in this area simultaneously.
• Thus, the following four projects were born under the IGMDP:
  • Short range surface-to-surface missile (code-named Prithvi)
  • Short range low-level surface-to-air missile (code-named Trishul)
  • Medium range surface-to-air missile (code-named Akash) and
  • Third-generation anti-tank missile (code-named Nag).
• The Agni missile was initially conceived in the IGMDP as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a re-entry vehicle.
• But it was later upgraded to a ballistic missile with different ranges.
• On 8 January 2008, the DRDO formally announced the successful completion of the IGMDP.
• Under this program India indigenously developed multiple series of Missiles.

Classification of missiles

• Missiles are classified in to different types based on Type launch mode, Range, Propulsion and guidance system.

• Surface-to-surface missile is designed to be launched from the land or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea.
• Surface-to-air missile is designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles.
• Air-to-surface missile is designed to be launched from military aircraft at targets on land or sea.
• Air-to-air missiles is designed to destroy an aircraft by firing form another aircraft.
• Anti-satellite weapons are space weapons designed to destroy satellites for strategic military purposes.
• Ballistic missile is that follows a Trajectory (projectile motion) with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target.
• Anti-Tank Missile is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armoured military vehicles.
• Anti-ballistic missiles are surface-to-air missiles that are designed to counter ballistic missiles.
• Anti-ship Missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats.
• Cruise Missile is a guided missile that used against terrestrial targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed.
• Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high precision.
• Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines.

Missiles in India

1.Prithvi I

• Prithvi I was launched in February 1988.
• Prithvi I was a single-stage, liquid-fuelled missile.
• A surface-to-surface missile, it has a range of 150 km.
• It had a mounting capability of 1000 kg.
• It was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994.

2. Agni I

• It was a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.
• Agni 1 is the first of the five-missile Agni series launched in 1983.
• It has a range of 700 km.

3. Akash

• Akash is a surface-to-air missile with an intercept range of 30 km.
• It has multi-target engagement capability.
• It is in operational service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

4. Nag

• Nag is a third-generation hit-to-kill anti-tank missile that was first tested in 1990.
• The two-stage solid propellant weapon.
• It uses the lock-on before launch system where the target is identified and designated before the weapon is launched. 

5. Trishul

• Trishul is a short-range surface-to-air missile.
• It is equipped with electronic measures against all known aircraft jammers.
• It has a range of 9 km and is used as anti-sea skimmer from ships against low-flying attacks.

6. Agni II

• It is an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
• The Agni-II was first test fired on April 11, 1999.
• The surface-to-surface missile has a range of 2000 to 2500 km.
• It can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. 

7. Agni III

• Agni III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed as the successor to the Agni II.
• It is an improvement over its previous iteration, and has a range of 3,500-5,000 km.
• It making it capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries.
• It was inducted in to the armed forces in June 2011, enhancing its strike capability. 

8. Agni IV

• Agni-IV is two-stage surface-to-surface nuclear capable long-range ballistic missile.
• It has a two-phase propulsion system is designed to carry a 1,000 kg payload. 
• In 19 September 2012, ths missile was successfully test-fired for its full range of 4,000 km.
• It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances.
• It also Equipped with most accurate ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system (RINS) and supported by highly reliable redundant micro navigation system (MINGS) that ensures it hit target within two-digit accuracy.

9. Agni V

• Agni is India’s first inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).
• It has a high road mobility, fast-reaction ability and a strike range of over 5,000 km.

10.Prithvi-II

• Single-stage liquid-fuelled surface-to-surface missile.
• It is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of nuclear warheads.
• It was Inducted into the Armed forces in 2003.

11. Prithvi III

• Prithvi III is the naval-version missile with a range of 350 km.
• It is a two-stage surface-to-surface missile.
• Prithvi III was first tested in 2000.

12. BrahMos 

• BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that is first test-fired on June 12, 2001.
• It is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land.
• It was developed as a joint venture between India and Russia.
• It is the world's fastest (Mach 2.8 to 3.0) anti-ship cruise missile in operation.

13. K-15 Sagarika

• The successful test of the Sagarika marks an inflection point in India’s military history.
• It forms the crucial third leg of India’s nuclear deterrent vis-à-vis its Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) capability.
• The K-15 Sagarika, which has a range of 750 km, was successfully tested in February 2008.
• It was subsequently integrated with India’s nuclear-powered Arihant class submarine. 

14. Dhanush

• Dhanush is a liquid propelled sea-based missile that was envisaged as a short-range version of the Prithvi II ballistic missile.
• It has a range of 350 km and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
• It was successfully test-fired from a naval warship in March 2011, and carries forward the legacy of the K-15 Sagarika. 

15. Shaurya

• It was initially conceived as a surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SSM) variant of the K-15 Sagarika.
• It can be stored in underground silos for extended periods and launched using gas canisters as a trigger.
• The nuclear capability of the missile enhances India’s second-strike capability reduces the dependence on the K-15 ballistic missile which was built with significant Russian assistance. 

16. Nirbhay

• Nirbhay is a subsonic missile which is ancillary to the BrahMos range.
• It uses a terrain-following navigation system to reach up to 1,000 km.
• Nirbhay is capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea, and air. 

17. Prahaar

• Prahaar is a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 150 km that was successfully tested for the first time in July 2011.
• Stated to be a unique missile, the Prahaar boasts of high, acceleration and accuracy.
• The missile can be fired from a road mobile launcher and is extremely mobile in battle situations owing to its lighter build.

18. Astra

• Astra is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile (AAM) that was tested successfully in May 2011.
• In terms of size and weight, the Astra is the smallest missile developed by the DRDO.
• It was envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode within a range of 80 km. 

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