Notes on Missile Technology in India

Missile Technology in India

HISTORY

The use of missiles in India began in the Ancient period when the missile was called ASTRA.
The scriptures and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have mentioned 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 18^th 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 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; 1^st – liquid; 2^nd – 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; 1^st – Solid; 2^nd – 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