Product Report on indian missiles development

product report on development of missiles in india

History of missile Fighting the British colonial army, Tipu Sultan and his army used thousands of rockets resulting in the defeat of the troops in the Srirangapatna war in 1792. The rockets were attached with bamboo or steel spears and powered by gun powder, propellant compacted in a cast iron chamber with nozzle and igniters capable of attacking enemy cavalry and soldiers.

[Tipus rocket] The modern day missiles have their roots in Germany as the country developed the first successful Guided missiles V1 and V2. After World War II, several other nations developed a variety of missile systems.

This was the time when India decided to go ahead with its Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), headed by eminent scientist and former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who launched the first Satellite Launch Vehicle, SLV-3putting the Rohini Satellite in orbit.

The IGMDP project began on July 26, 1983 atthe Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad. A host of missiles, including the strategic Agni Integrated Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), the tactical Prithvi, the Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles and the Nag anti-tank guided missile were developed under the programme. The project gave India the capability to produce indigenous missiles in other key areas as well.

Today, India is one of the few countries in the world to have indigenously developed missile systems including critical technologies like the re-entry tip for ballistic missiles.

1. AKASH MISSILE:

Akash (Sanskrit: k "Sky") is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defense system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ordnance Factories Board and Bharat Electronics (BEL) in India. The missile system can target aircraft up to 30km away, at altitudes up to 18,000 m. A nuclear warhead could potentially give the missile the capability to destroy both aircraft and warheads from ballistic missiles. It is in operational service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. The system provides air defence missile coverage for an area of 2,000km. The Indian military's combined orders of the Akash, including radar systems (WLR and Surveillance), have a total worth of $5.2 billion ( 23,300 crore). The Akash Missile Development cost of 1,000crore ($200 million), including the project sanction of 600 crore ($120 million), is 8-10 times lower than the cost of similar system developments in other countries. Akash has certain unique characteristics like mobility, all-the-way-powered flight till target interception, multiple target handling, digitally-coded command guidance and fully automatic operation.Specifications:Type:Mobile Surface-to-air missile system

Placeoforigin:India

Service history

Inservice:2009-present

Usedby:Indian ArmyIndian Air Force

Production history

Designer:DRDO(Defence Research and Development Organisation)

Manufacturer:Ordnance Factories BoardBharat DynamicsBharat Electronics

Produced:2009-

Numberbuilt:3000 missiles

Specifications

Weight:720kg (1,590lb)

Length:578cm (228in)

Diameter:35cm (14in)

Warhead:High-explosive, pre-fragmented warhead

Warheadweight:60kg (130lb)

Detonationmechanism:RF proximity fuse

Propellant:integral rocket motor/ramjet booster and sustainer motor

Flight ceiling:18km (59,000ft)

2.trishul missile: Trishul (Sanskrit: , meaning trident) is the name of a short range surface-to-air missile developed by India as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It has a range of 9km and is fitted with a 5.5kg warhead. Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land. Guidance consists of three different guiding beams, with the guidance handed over progressively to a narrower beam as the missile approaches the target. According to reports, the range of the missile is 12km and is fitted with a 15kg warhead. The weight of the missile is 130kg. The length of the missile is 3.1 m. Development costs of the missile touched almost US$70 million to the taxpayers. India officially shut the down Trishul Missile project on 27 February 2008.The program, one of the five missiles being developed by Defense Research and Development Organization as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program, has been shelved. Defence Minister George Fernandes indicated this in Raja Sabha (upper house of parliament), when he said the Trishul missile had been de-linked from user service, though it would be continued as a technology demonstrator. By 1998 Trishul had undergone over two dozen developmental flight trials, and the missile was inducted into service in 1999. Trishul will be employed by Indian Army and Air Force against low flying aircraft. The Indian Navy will also use this weapon system in anti-missile role against Exocet and Harpoon possessed by Pakistan

3. PRITHVI missile: Prithvi (Sanskrit: , pithv "Earth") is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by DRDO of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It is deployed by India's Strategic Forces Command.The Prithvi missile project encompassed developing 3 variants for use by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The initial project framework of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program outlines the variants in the following manner.

Prithvi I (SS-150) - Army Version (150km range with a payload of 1,000kg) Prithvi II (SS-250) - Air Force Version (250km range with a payload of 500kg) Prithvi III (SS-350) - Naval Version (350km range with a payload of 1000kg) Dhanush- Dhanush is reportedly a naval version of Prithvi which can be launched from ships.Prithvi I Prithvi I class is a surface-to-surface missile having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 1,000kg, with a range of 150km. It has an accuracy of 10 50m and can be launched from transporter erector launchers. This class of Prithvi missile was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994. As Per (DRDO) Chief Avinash Chander the tactical 150km-range Prithvi missile will be replaced with the Prahar missile, which is more capable and has more accuracy. According to Chander, the Prithvi I missiles withdrawn from service would be upgraded to be used for longer ranges.Prithvi II Prithvi II class is also a single-stage liquid-fuelled missile having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 500kg, but with an extended range of 250km. It was developed with the Indian Air Force being the primary user. It was first test-fired on January 27, 1996 and the development stages were completed in 2004. This variant has been inducted into the army as well. In a recent test, the missile was launched with an extended range of 350km and had improved navigation due to an inertial navigation system. The missile features measures to deceive Anti-ballistic missiles. Prithvi II was successfully fired by the SFC again on 25 August 2012 and 4 October 2012, and it covered its full range of 350 kilometers. Another successful training firing of Prithvi II was conducted by the SFC on 7 October 2013, again on 7 January 2014 and 28 March 2014.Prithvi III Prithvi III class (codenamed Dhanush meaning Bow) is a two-stage ship-to-surface missile. The first stage is solid fuelled with a 16 metric ton force (157 KN) thrust motor. The second stage is liquid-fueled. The missile can carry a 1,000kg warhead to a distance of 350km and a 500kg warhead to a distance of 600km and a 250kg warhead up to a distance of 750km. Dhanush is a system consisting of a stabilization platform and the missile. It is a customised version of the Prithvi and is certified for sea worthiness. Dhanush has to be launched from a hydraulically stabilized launch pad.The missile has been tested from surface ships of the navy many times. Prithvi III was first tested in 2000 from INS Subhadra, a Sukanya class patrol craft. The missile was launched from the updated reinforced helicopter deck of the vessel. The first flight test of the 250km variant was only partially successful.The full operational testing was completed in 2004. The following year in December, an enhanced 350km version of the missile was tested from the INS Rajput and successfully hit a land-based target. The missile was again successfully tested-fired from INS Subhadra, which was anchored about 35km offshore from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur on December 13, 2009. It was the sixth test of the missile.Specifications:Type:Short Range Ballistic Missile

Placeoforigin:India

Service history

Inservice:1994 (Prithvi I)

Usedby:Indian ArmyIndian Air ForceIndian Navy

Production history

Manufacturer:Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

Produced:February 25, 1988 (Prithvi I)January 27, 1996 (Prithvi II)April 11, 2000 (Dhanush)January 23, 2004 (Prithvi III)

Specifications

Weight:4,400 kg (Prithvi I)4,600 kg (Prithvi II)5,600 kg (Prithvi III)

Length:9 m (Prithvi I)8.56 m (Prithvi II, Prithvi III)

Diameter:110 cm (Prithvi I, Prithvi II)100cm (Prithvi III)

Engine:Single Stage liquid fuel dual motor(Prithvi I, Prithvi II),Single Stage Solid Motor (Prithvi III)

Operationalrange:150 km (Prithvi I)250-350 km (Prithvi II)350 - 600 km (Prithvi III)

Guidance:systemstrap-down inertial guidance

Launchplatform:8 x 8 Tata Transporter Erector Launcher

4. AGNI misile: The Agni missile (Sanskrit: , Agn, "fire" and also the Hindu god of fire) is a family of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India, named after one of the five elements of nature. Agni Missiles are long range, nuclear weapons capable surface to surface ballistic missile. The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program and tested in 1991. After its success, Agni missile program was separated from the IGMDP upon realizing its strategic importance. It was designated as a special program in India's defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development. As of 2008, the Agni missile family comprises three deployed variants while two more variants are under testing.

Specifications:Type:Medium-range ballistic missile (Agni-I)Intermediate-range ballistic missile (Agni-II, Agni-III, Agni-IV)Intercontinental ballistic missile (Agni-V, Agni VI)

Placeoforigin:India

Service history

Inservice:(Tests) 11 April 1999, 17 January 2001, and 29 August 2004

Usedby:India

Production history

Manufacturer:Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

Unitcost:250 million (US$4.2million) to 350 million (US$5.8million) (Agni II)

Specifications

Weight:12,000 kg (Agni-I)16,000 kg (Agni-II)48,000 kg (Agni III)22,000 kg (Agni-III latest version)17,000 kg (Agni-IV)49,000 kg (Agni-V)55,000 kg (Agni VI)

Length:15 m (Agni-I)21 m (Agni-II)17 m (Agni-III)20 m (Agni-IV)17.5 m (Agni-V)

Diameter:1.0 m (Agni-I, Agni-II)2.0 m (Agni-III, Agni V)1.1 m (Agni VI)

Warhead:Strategic nuclear (15kt to 250kt), conventional HE-unitary, penetration, sub-munitions, incendiary, or fuel air explosives

Engine:Single stage (Agni-I)Two-and-half-stage (Agni-II)Two stage (Agni-III) solid propellant engine

Operational range:7001,250km (Agni-I)2,0003,500km (Agni-II)3,5005,000km (Agni-III)Over 5,500km (Agni-V8,00010,000 km (Agni VI)

Flight altitude:300 km (Agni-I)230 km (Agni-I)350 km (Agni-III)

Speed:2.5km/s (Agni-I)[3.5km/s (Agni-II)

Guidancesystem:Ring laser gyro-INS (inertial navigation system), optionally augmented by GPS terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation

Launchplatform:88 Tatra TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) Rail Mobile Launcher

5.nag missile: Nag (Sanskrit, Ng: Snake) is a third generation "fire-and-forget" anti-tank missile developed in India. It is one of five missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). Nag has been developed at a cost of 3 billion (US$49.8million).

The Nag would have been available with three different types of guidance, a wire guided version, an infra-red version and a mill metric wave (mmW) version.DRDO failed to develop a wire guidance system had this led to plans for this being dropped. Currently, guidance is based on an imaging infra-red (IIR) passive seeker that ensures a high-hit accuracy in both top- and front-attack modes. The Nag will be produced in two main basic variants. The land version has been tested from a tracked vehicle known as NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier). With the IR version of the missile, targets are acquired using a thermal sight, and are then assigned to the nose-mounted IIR seeker.Specifications:Type:Anti-tank guided missile

Placeoforigin:India

Service history

Inservice:2015?

UsedbySee Operators

Production history

Manufacturer:Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

Specifications

Weight:42kg (93lb)

Length:1.90m (6Ft 3in)

Diameter:190mm (7.5in)

Warhead:8kg (18lb) tandem warhead

Engine:Tandem solid Propulsion(Nitra mine based smokeless extruded double base sustainer propellant)

Wingspan:400 mm

Operationalrange:Land version: 500m to 4km (Air-launched: 7-10km)

Speed:230 m/s

Guidancesystem:Active Imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker,mill metric wave (mmW) seeker (under development)

Launchplatform:Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA)HAL Dhruv HelicopterHAL Light Combat Helicopter