Indian Missiles - News, Developments, Tests, and Discussions

[rockstarIN]

Top Russian general visits BrahMos Aerospace

NEW DELHI (BNS): General Nikolay Makarov, the Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces leading a large defence delegation visited the BrahMos Design Center & headquarters today on the 8th of December 2010.

During his visit he was briefed by Dr. AS Pilliai the CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace on the development and achievements of the Joint Venture.

General Makarov expressed that BrahMos is a model of cooperation in the field of Military Technical Cooperation and also said that BRAHMOS has become a vital weapon for defence of its country.

General Makarov said that BRAHMOS has no analog in the World today and is a very reliable weapon system. He added any country which will have such a weapon system will have very serious defence potential in the World.

"As Chief of General Staff I will recommend BrahMos to be equipped in the Russian armed forces too," General Makarov added.

 

[RPK]

.Home: Maiden test of Agni-II Plus slated for Thursday
Maiden test of Agni-II Plus slated for Thursday
Submitted by admin2 on Wed, 12/08/2010 - 22:21 in National
United News of India
Bhubaneswar, December 8, 2010



Notwithstanding the inclement weather and incessant rain that lashed the Orissa coast following a depression, all preparations are underway for the maiden test of the Agni-II plus missile tomorrow.



Agni-II Plus is a modified version of the Agni-II strategic missile and the test will be conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal.



The success of this maiden flight test of a complete nuclear-capable missile, also known as Agni-II prime or A-2, developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), will set a new chapter in the India's missile programme.



According to Director General of DRDO V K Saraswat, the new missile would have a higher range, higher performance with respect to the thrust and weight ratio than Agni-II missile which has a range of



2,000 km.



Being an upgraded version of the Agni-II, the new missile, sources said, would be more accurate and powerful.



The new missile would perform more better at various levels in terms of accuracy, strength and distance covered in comparison to Agni-II missile.



The surface-to-surface missile can hit targets in between 2,500 km and 3,000 km thereby bridging the gap between the Agni II missile which has a range of 2,500 kms and the Agni III missile having a range of 3,000 km.



The Agni II Plus missile could also carry extra fuel and will have a new motor in its re-entry vehicle for better maneuverability and an improved navigation system.


Maiden test of Agni-II Plus slated for Thursday | NetIndian | India News | Latest News from India | Breaking News from India | Latest Headlines

 

[shrivatsa]

its different ,its a prime

just for comparision agni 2

 

[sathya]

compared to old one new second stage looks awesome
waiting for the next successful test

 

[jha]

Nice article ..recommended by AIRFORCE BRAT..However seems to be an old one..

India's Multifunction Missile for Credible Deterrent

Shourya and Sagarika is a new common missile that can be launched from multiple platforms, i.e. ground, submarine and mobile launcher. The naval version is called Sagarika, while the land based version is called Shourya1. The Indian doctrine of Minimum Credible Nuclear Deterrence envisages “No First Use” (NFU) policy and a triad of nuclear counterstrike capability. The land based Agni-2 missile range is limited to about 3,300 km, and the longer range Agni-3 will enter service soon.

The sea leg of the triad based on blue water naval assets dispersed across the world’s oceans is most survivable and thus a critical part of the triad. The ability to reach all corners of a potential challenger requires a range of 5,000 to 8,000 km. DRDO is developing sub-surface launched long range Agni-3SL with heavy MIRV payload and ABM countermeasures.

Indian nuclear powered ATV due for sea trial in 2009 will reportedly carry 12 launch tubes2 of 2.4m diameter. Launch tubes can be flexibly configured to either carry a two meter diameter Agni-3SL or three wooden rounds3 of 0.74m diameter K15-Sagarika missile. Shourya and Sagarika fills the short to medium range gap that is below Agni-3’s minimum range.

At operational level these missiles provide for range of warheads necessary for graduated nuclear escalation as enunciated by Indian staff and military warfare collages.4This multifunction missile made in large quantities would fulfill India’s immediate requirements. The missile optimally matches latest types of strategic weapons tested at Pokhran-II in 1998. The missile will most likely takeover the strategic weapons role of Prithvi and Agni-1 missiles, and make them unambiguously dedicated for conventional roles thus stabilizing nuclear deterrence. Shourya and its counterpart Sagarika has been tested six times5 till date. The missile is expected to enter service in 2010. Sagarika will be deployed on submarines and very likely on ‘Sukanya’ class naval vessels too.

Description:
Shourya is a compact, slender, two-stage, solid fuel missile designed as a wooden round. The missile development was initiated as project K15 and was first flight tested6 on 27 October 2004 in the guise of solid fueled Prithvi-III.7 It is stored, deployed and launched in a fiberglass composite canister, which is easy to handle mobile and can be flexibly deployed on different types of surface and sub-surface platforms. Shourya and Sagarika share a common design. The missile is sealed and can be launched from a moving submarine at 50 meter depth.The 6.2 tonne Shourya is 10 meters long, and has two solid fuel stages of 0.74 meters diameter. The first stage booster is about two meters long and the second about six meters long. The missile supports a range of unitary warhead configurations, weighing 180 to 1,000 kg. High missile accuracy and ability to fly in a highly depressed trajectory well within atmosphere indicates that it is a weapon for choice to interdict Command & Control (C&C) and preemptive tactics

 

[jha]

Article continued..

The sixth test flight on November 12th, 2008 was a depressed trajectory flight (at Mach 6 and 50 km altitude) with continuous rolling to dissipate heat over a larger surface demonstrated the mastery of difficult aspects of rocketry involving sustained hypersonic flight.The wooden round design sealed in a fiber glass canister with the aero fins folded inside in a clean & controlled environment makes it maintenance free and tamper proof. The missile is launched by a hot gas generator developing 15-200 bar pressure using high burn rate HTBP based composite propellant. The thick dark gas cloud greatly reduces the thermal signature of the missile.

Once out of the launch tube, the first stage booster motor ignites, taking the missile to five km altitude, when, the main second stage motor takes over. The booster debris reaches a maximum altitude of six km, well below the horizon of radars beyond 330 km. The clean and small diameter missile presents a tiny RCS (radar cross-section).


The second stage air fins provide necessary in-flight trajectory control. The main motor is typically expended at 33 km altitude well within the atmosphere; however the air fins remain effective beyond post boost phase. The air fins also allow the missile to fly in a depressed trajectory as well as a cruise and glide in sustained hypersonic regime at 50 km altitude. The payload separation can be done much later after using aerodynamics for trajectory modification during ascent or descent. The missile is resistant to ABM defense.


Shourya Re-entry Vehicle (RV) supports a wide range of weapons, with total payload mass ranging from 180 to 1,000 kg. The missile range is a function of payload mass (see graph below)

The November 2008 test unveiled the new generation RV that is designed and optimized for newer boosted fission and thermonuclear weapon (including those awaiting confirmatory test). The sharp nose high ‘âeta’ (Ballistic coefficient9) RV design employs 16 cm diameter blunt nose and half angle of 12° that is mounted on a payload adapter to interface with the 0.74m diameter mission control module atop the upper stage. The high ‘âeta’ RV in combination with an all carbon composite body enables higher re-entry speed even with a light weight payload.10
Mk-4: For light weight 17Kt Fusion Boosted Fission (FBF) warhead11. Mass12: ~180 Kg13.
Mk-5: For 50Kt FBF or 200Kt Thermo Nuclear (TN) warhead14. Mass: ~340 Kg
Mk-6: For 150Kt FBF warhead15. Mass: ~550 Kg.

The all carbon composite re-entry heat shields with multi-directional ablative carbon-carbon re-entry nose tip make it very light and tough.16 This very light RV mass enables scalable payload and range tradeoff especially for lightweight warhead.

 

[kingdurgaking]

^^ shourya is really pretty sleek missile.. does any other country posses such a missile?.. with a little increase in range.. it should beat tomahawk by several missiles...

 

[jha]

Propulsion

The Shourya has two solid fueled stages of 0.74m diameter. This diameter is compatible with a recently tested Indian sub-surface launch system that has a 2.4 meter diameter launch tube17.

First Stage: The first stage solid fuel booster is approximately two meter long and weighs about 1,300 kg including 1,000 kg high density fuel. The booster lifts the missile to an altitude of five km so that the second stage can operate more efficiently at low atmospheric pressure. It uses hot gas reaction control for initial control of yaw, pitch and roll before the air fins unfold and missile gains sufficient velocity for aerodynamic control surfaces.

Second Stage: This six meter long stage weighs about 3.6 tonne and generates 16 tonne thrust. Case-bonded HTPB-based composite propellant with low burn rate is ignited by a small pyrogen ignition motor.

The case is made of 250 grade maraging steel to maximize fuel mass fraction that is critical for scalable payload versus range flexibility. Its nozzle is made of composite material with metallic backup and carbon phenolic liners. The interstage coupling uses a soft-stage separation mechanism and retro rockets for reliable and safe stage separation.

Navigation & Accuracy:

Shourya largely carries the proven avionics set of Agni-3. However, for more extensive aerodynamic maneuvering, it is augmented by new sensors and flight control system. Shourya will also benefit form Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)23 expected to be ready by 2012, to ensure guaranteed national access to precision navigation. These systems enable high accuracy required for precision strike.

 

[jha]

Range versus Payload

Missile range and payload mass are inversely related. It is interesting to note that press reports the Shourya’s range for 1,000 kg and 500 kg payload. The former corresponding to 1980 vintage 200Kt FBF warhead and the latter corresponding to 150Kt FBF that is yet to be field validated.

The official reporting obfuscates the missile’s much higher range corresponding to field tested 17Kt FBF warhead that is the mainstay of Indian deterrence.

Conclusion:
Shourya class of missile is truly a multi-service missile that has desirable attributes of small size, mobility, stealth, rich set of warhead options, robustness and cost that could make it the most mass produced Indian missile. It complements the long range Agni class missiles to provide the Indian military commanders the global range necessary to secure Indian interests.

 

[sathya]

Agni-II Prime First Flight Fails

Dec 10, 2010




By Anantha Krishnan M.
WHEELER ISLAND, India

India’s launch of the Agni-II Prime missile—an advanced variant of the Agni-II—failed just moments after liftoff Dec. 10 from Wheeler Island, falling into the sea off the coast of Orissa.

Indian officials announced that there was a trajectory deviation immediately after liftoff and that a detailed analysis is in progress.

“There was some structural oscillation observed immediately after the liftoff,” a senior Defense Research and Development Organization official tells Aviation Week. “We are analyzing the available data to assess the reasons for the failure.”

If the mission had been successful, DRDO said the new technologies would have set a basis for future missions. “The missile had many first-time technologies incorporated in it,” the official says. “Some of the new technologies [included] a composite rocket motor, Ring Laser Gyro-based navigation system. The missile was lighter as compared with Agni-II.

“It is a setback, but we are going ahead with our next missions planned for this month,” the official adds.

DRDO is planning to test the Air Defense System this month in addition to the some more launches. The much-awaited launch of Agni-V is planned for next year.

The latest launch saw DRDO using a new road-mobile launcher indigenously developed by its Vehicle Research and Development Establishment lab in Ahmedabad. The missile was test-fired from Launch Complex-4, entering an auto-launch mode in the last 3 min. of the countdown. The missile is designed for a range in excess of 3,000 km. (1,860 mi.), with the capability to carry a nuclear warhead.

 

[ironman]

Work on BrahMos supersonic missile over, trials to wait​

Published: Sunday, Dec 12, 2010, 17:45 IST
Place: Moscow | Agency: PTI

BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture, has completed the work on aerial and underwater versions of a supersonic cruise missile, but the test-fire of the two variants is held up for the time being in the absence of platforms for trials.

The test-fire of underwater version of the missile will take place early next year while the trial of air-borne variant is likely to be held in 2012, sources from BrahMos Aerospace said.

Alexander Leonov, director general of NPO Mashinostroyenia which is the Russian partner of the joint venture, said work on both aerial and submarine versions of the missile has been completed and they are ready for trial.

He said BrahMos scientists are now waiting for the Su-30MKI aircraft to be provided by Indian Air Force to act as a platform for testing the aerial version while a specially designed submerged vehicle will be used for trial of the submarine version.

In the absence of a specially designed submarine to conduct the test, a submerged platform will be used for carrying out the trial of underwater version of the missile.

Marketing director of Brahmos Praveen Pathak said IAF has already identified two Sukhoi 30 fighter jets for testing the aerial version, which is set to take place in 2012. He said induction of the missile into the IAF is likely to begin in 2013.

"As per our estimate, we will be able to complete by end of 2012 all the development trials of airbrone version and induction should start by 2013," Pathak told PTI.

Leonov said Indian Navy only wants to integrate the missile on Indian manufactured submarines, which is why test has to be carried out from a specially designed submerged vehicle.

"As far as I know the submarines where the missiles are likely to be integrated will be manufactured in India. The missile is ready for installations," he said.

The 290-km range missile, which can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg, is already in service with the navy as its Shivalik class frigates have been equipped with it. BrahMos has also been inducted into the army. The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound.

One regiment of the BrahMos-I variant, consisting of 67 missiles, five mobile autonomous launchers on 12x12 'Tatra' vehicles and two mobile command posts, among other equipment, is already operational in the Army.

India and Russia have so far invested $300 million in BrahMos Aerospace, which was established to design, develop, produce and market the missile by using the technological skills and capabilities of both countries.

Pathak said several countries have shown interest in buying the missile and negotiations are currently underway with them.

"We have got applications from various countries. Negotiations are currently going on with them," he said. Lenov said BrahMos Aerospace is also planning to develop a hypersonic version of the missile to be called BrahMos-II which may have speed in the range of 5 to 7 Mach to make it the fastest cruise missile in the world.

"The combination of (India's) requirement and achievable level of speed will determine the future configuration," he said.

Work on BrahMos supersonic missile over, trials to wait - India - DNA

 

[Hulk]

thats awesome news.

 

[RPK]

Agni: India's fire power - Brahmand.com


India's Agni missile project was initiated by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in the year 1983.

Initially conceived as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a re-entry vehicle, the project was later upgraded to a full-fledged ballistic missile programme.

Agni missile system

The Agni missile system is an Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) of India. The surface-to-surface missile has, so far, been designed and developed in five variants – Agni-I, Agni-II, Agni-II Plus, Agni-III and Agni-V.

AGNI-I

Agni-I is the first missile of the Agni series. It was first tested at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur, Orissa in 1989. Later, two more tests were conducted on 29 May, 1992 and 19 February, 1994. These tests were technology test-beds (TTBs) for developing vehicle structure, integration, navigation and control, flight dynamics and re-entry vehicle technology.

Agni-I has a range of around 700 kms. The missile can be fired from road-mobile launchers. It is propelled by solid fuel, giving it a shallow re-entry angle. Maneuvering RV body-lift aerodynamics give it the ability to correct trajectory errors and reduce thermal stresses. During its reentry phase, the missile uses all carbon composite structure for protecting the payload.

Agni-I has currently been inducted in the Indian Army.

AGNI-II

AGNI- II is a medium range ballistic missile with the capacity to hit targets 2,000 kms away. The missile can carry a nuclear payload of 1,000-kg. It has a length of 20 metres, a diameter of 1.3 metres and weighs 16 tonnes, and is an improvement over its predecessor which had a length of 21 metres and weighed 19 tonnes.

AGNI- II was first tested on 11 April 1999 from the IC-4 pad at Wheeler Island, Balasore. The second test flight on 17 January 2001 demonstrated that the missile can also be launched from a road TEL (Transporter-Erector-Launcher) vehicle.

Agni-II incorporates accurate terminal navigation and guidance system, which constantly updates information about the missile flight path using ground-based beacons, improved accuracy by a factor of at least three over that of the Agni-I. The surface-to-surface missile was recently launched in May, 2010 off an island in Orissa. The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army.

Agni-II has also been inducted in the missile arsenal of the Indian Army.

AGNI-II PLUS

Known as the Agni-II Plus, Agni-II Prime or A2, this nuclear-capable missile was developed by the DRDO to fill the gap in the range between Agni-II and Agni-III. While Agni-II has a range of more than 2,000 km, Agni-III can target places more than 3,000 km away.

The two-stage, surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 2,500 km. The 17-tonne missile is 20 metres long, capable of carrying nuclear warheads of one tonne.

The missile was recently test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast on December 10, 2010. But within moments of take-off from a specially designed truck, the missile plunged into the Bay of Bengal following a deviation in its trajectory.

AGNI-III

Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by India as the successor to Agni-II. The ballistic missile has a range of 3,500 km- 5500 km, which means that India is capable of engaging targets deep inside its neighbouring countries. The missile’s Circular Error Probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it one of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missiles of its range in the world.

The first test for Agni III was conducted from Wheeler Island off the Bhadrak coast on July 9, 2006. The launch was not successful due to some anomaly in the first stage. Later on, the subsequent test of the missile on April 12, 2007 from the Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa was successful.
In the latest launch, in February, 2010, India again successfully tested Agni-III.

AGNI-V

Agni-V (5,000-6000 km) is an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). It is the first canistered road-mobile ballistic missile in India’s military arsenal, bringing possible targets in almost the whole of China and Pakistan within striking range.
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a missile with a long range (greater than 5,500 km or 3,500 miles) typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery.

Agni-V is a three stage solid fueled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage. Two of the three stages of the solid-propellant missile are made of composites, making it lighter. While 60 per cent of the sub-systems are similar to those of the 3,500-km-range Agni-III, the rest comprises of new and advanced technologies like the ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer, which provide navigation and guidance.

Agni-V will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against anti-ballistic missile systems. The missile is specially tailored for road-mobility. With the missile’s canister having been successfully developed, all of India's future land-based strategic missiles will be canisterised as well.

Another major technological breakthrough that will boost up the Agni-V is the Advanced Systems Laboratory's (ASL) success in developing and testing MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). An MIRV, atop an Agni-V missile, will comprise of three to 10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a separate target, separated by hundreds of kilometers; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target.

The missile, according to experts, is similar to the Dongfeng-31A missile that raised quite a few eye-brows during China’s National Day Military Parade in Beijing on October 1, 2009.

Agni-V is India’s most ambitious strategic missile project. It is expected to provide a major tactical advantage as it can be launched from anywhere in the country. The test-firing of the missile will help India join the elite club of nations with the capability to produce ICBMs.

Agni-V in comparison with other international ICBMs

Key Facts
Agni-V RT-2UTTH Topol M LGM-30 Minuteman Dongfeng-31A
Type Intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile Intercontinental ballistic missile Intercontinental ballistic missile

Origin India Russia USA China
Service status
Under development (Design completed) December 1997 - Russian Strategic Rocket Forces
1962 (Minuteman I), 1965 (Minuteman II), 1970 (Minuteman III) In service

Range 5000-6000 km 11,000 km
13,000 km 10,700-11,200 km

Launch Platform
8 x 8 Tatra TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) & Rail Mobile Launcher (canisterised missile package) Silo, road-mobile TEL
Silo Road mobile, 8X8 tractor truck + 8-wheel trailer; or silo

Engine Three-stage, all composite, solid propellant Three-stage solid propellant
Three solid-propellant rocket motors; first stage - Thiokol TU-122 (M-55); second stage - Aerojet-General SR-19-AJ-1; third stage - Aerojet/Thiokol SR73-AJ/TC-1 Three-stage, solid propellant


Courtesy:

DRDO
The Hindu
Press Information Bureau

 

[alam.saquiba]

The Way India used there knowledge from Brahmos and using them in other missile is superb....

Russia can not supply any technology which can be used for developing missile of range more than 300 Km.... (Some international treaty)

But the expertise used in <300 km missile can be used for making >300 km missiles...

 

[jha]

here we go..Shiv Aroor has finally cracked Jigsaw..

Agni SLBM A Myth?

The unofficial impression above, from a recent magazine report, is one of a whole slew of graphics and illustrations that have swamped the internet and print publications in the last few years. This one, like many others, suggests that there will be submarine-launched versions of India's intermediate range ballistic missiles Agni III and V.

I sent the picture above to India Today senior editor Sandeep Unnithan, who broke the story recently about India's secret K-series of missiles, to see what he thought. Here's what he had to say: "There is a myth created by missile experts on internet forums about SLBM variants of the Agni III and V. They have gone ahead and created several impressions of what it will look like complete with MIRVs etc. The truth is that the K series, and NOT Agni, is the basis for the future SLBM development. This is not contested by the DRDO either. Difficulties with compacting the Agni to fit the 10 metre diameter ATV hull have led to solutions like the K-4.&#8221;