India: Akash Completes Validation Trials

Last Wednesday 18th June, Indian Army successfully test fired the sophisticated Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Akash in a very low altitude near boundary mission from a defence base off the Odisha coast making the weapon system deliverable.

Akash missile, which has a launch weight of 720 kg, a length of 5.8 metres and a diameter of 35 cm, can carry a payload up to 50 kg and destroy a target 30 km away, flying at a supersonic speed of around 2.5 Mach and reaching an altitude of 18 kms. Akash mobile air defence weapon system has been designed, developed and led to production by DRDO for defending and protecting the important assets of the country from penetrating aerial attacks.

Congratulating the DRDO teams, production agencies and Army for successful demonstration of intercepting the target in a low altitude near boundary mission, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DRDO Chief Avinash Chander said Akash system has great export potential: “The indigenous development, production and induction of Akash weapon system is a significant contribution to India’s self-reliance in air defence technologies,” he maintained. More than 250 industries are engaged in production and supply of various subsystems/components with military/aerospace grade quality for Akash missile and ground systems.

The trial was supervised by Project Director of Akash G Chandramouli and witnessed by Associate Director of LRDE RV Narayana, ITR Director MVKV Prasad, GM of BEL MM Handa, Director (Technical) of BDL NB Singh, Director General of Army Air Defence and other senior Army officials. This flight trial was last among the validation trials being carried out by Army on the first off production models of Akash supersonic missile.

Akash missile may be inducted into Army soon

The successful test-firing of the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) in Odisha  has the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) brimming with confidence that it would be quickly inducted into the Army.

A senior official said the Air Force has got one version of Akash, but the Army is yet to follow suit. According to senior officials, the Defence Acquisition Council has already given the nod for a combined order of Akash missiles for IAF and Army. The missile is often evaluated against the American Patriot SAM but uses an integral ram jet rocket propulsion system in addition to being touted as being more accurate and cheap.

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India test-fires nuclear-capable Agni-III

India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile on Monday 23th from Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast with a strike range of over 3000 km. The indigenously developed missile was flight-tested from a mobile launcher at launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range at about 16:55 hrs. "It was the second user trial in the Agni-III series carried out to establish the 'repeatability' of the missile's performance," a DRDO official said. This surface-to-air missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system and can carry a warhead of 1.5 tonne which is protected by carbon all composite heat shield. With a length of 17 metres, the missile's diameter is 2 metres and launch weight is around 50 tonnes.

Phailin: no impact on India's key missile launch facilities

Chandipur lies about 300 km north of Gopalpur, where the severe cyclonic storm made landfall on Saturday night packing winds at a speed of over 200 km per hour.

Although Chandipur was not in the path of the storm, armed forces had swung into action to protect their vital assets along the Odisha coast, which also include a naval base at Chilika lake and an air defense training center at Gopalpur.

"All equipment at the missile launch stations in Chandipur and Wheeler Island are safe. Our scientists and personnel are also safe, We hope to carry out the training and missile launches scheduled for November." said an official at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that manages these sites.

On Saturday, DRDO had secured telemetry equipment and radars deployed along the coastal areas. Such equipment are used by the DRDO for tracking missiles and monitoring the accuracy of a mission. High-speed infrared cameras to capture the sequence of a missile launch at the two facilities were also secured from any potential damage.

India: N-capable missile test fired for second time

On Tuesday 8th, India has successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile from a military base in Odisha for the second time in two days, a senior defence official said.

The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar. The missile was earlier successfully tested from the same defence base on Monday 7th.

Prithvi is India's first indigenously-built ballistic missile and one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. The battlefield missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds and reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, can carry a 500-kg warhead with a higher lethal effect compared to equivalent competitors in the world.

Last but not least, the missile has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities allowing it to reach its target within a few metres of accuracy. 

India boosts nuclear arsenal

India has conducted a second test firing of a nuclear-capable missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers.

Undoubtly, New Delhi is struggling to challenge Beijing in the race for missile dominance in Asia. "The country has established ICBM capability with the successful second test," said Avinash Chander, a scientific advisor to Defense Minister AV Antony, adding that the next launch would be canister-based.

'Agni-V' long-range ballistic missiles are about 17 meters long, with a diameter of 2 meters and a launch weight of about 50 tons, The Indian Express reported. The missile was test-fired from Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha. Missile scientist and 'Agni 5' chief designer V.G. Sekaran said the test was an "overwhelming success and showed the reliability and maturity of the sub-systems," the Hindu newspaper reported. 

The three-stage solid propellant missile was first successfully tested in April last year. Agni-V boasts a state-of-the-art Micro Navigation System, enabling the missile to hit the target to within a few meters. According to the spokesman for India’s Defence Research and Development Organization, Ravi Gupta, the missile will be included in the Indian Army’s arsenal by 2014-15. China has the world’s second-largest military budget behind the US, and is far ahead of India in nuclear weaponry, with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching anywhere in India.

The Agni-V may be India'a answer to China's nuclear buildup. Earlier versions of its missiles could reach only old Pakistan and western China. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China currently has some 250 nuclear missiles, while Pakistan holds between 100 and 120 missiles and India has between 90 and 110.The total number of nuclear missiles globally is estimated to have fallen from about 19,000 at the end of 2011 to about 17,265 warheads at the end of last year, thanks to the US and Russia reducing their stockpiles under bilateral arms control agreements, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said. Russia is believed to possess the largest inventory, with 8,500 warheads, just a little ahead of the 7,700 held by the US.

India: Second test-firing of Agni-V

Working at a fast pace towards production and induction of Agni-V missile into the forces, Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) is reportedly planning its second test fire next month.

The maiden test fire of Agni-V, the first intercontinental ballistic missile of India, was carried out in April 2012. The successful trial catapulted the country into the exclusive ICBM club comprising six elite countries, United States of America, Russia, China, France and United Kingdom.

Dr. V. G. Sekaran, chief controller R&D Missiles & Strategic Systems and Agni programme director, said that while no date has been fixed for the test as of now, it will be conducted in September. "This test shall be aimed at repeatability of the previous test for stabilizing the performance of sub-systems," he said, adding that DRDO is working at starting the production and delivery phase by 2015 for Agni-V.

Meanwhile, DRDO is leaving no stone unturned for kick starting the canisterization process for Agni-V by this year end. Canister launch of the missile will enable higher flexibility in launching speedy firing from any location on a road. The indigenously developed 50-tonne long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-V, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead weighing more than a tonne, has a 5,000 km range as per DRDO officials, who confirmed that preparations are at full swing at Wheeler Island off the Odisha Coast for a September launch.

Once inducted, India's range with respect to missile reach would include the entire Asia as well as parts of other continents. Agni V will be inducted into the force equipped with MIRVs (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicles (MIRVs) for shooting multiple warheads at the same time.