Floating test range for missile defence system
Officials say the present Wheeler Island facility poses several limitations.
India is building a unique floating testing range — a huge ship — to overcome the limitations imposed by the land mass for carrying out missile tests of varying ranges for the two-tier ballistic missile defence (BMD) system to protect important cities.
The system seeks to engage and destroy incoming enemy missiles at different altitudes in the endo- and exo-atmospheres.
The first phase of the programme envisages development of interceptors to annihilate incoming missiles with a range of 2,000 km, while the second phase aims to build such weapons to destroy missiles with a longer range.
The system will waylay a ballistic missile and destroy it in mid-air.
India has so far conducted 10 interceptor missile tests, eight of them successful. Most of the trials were conducted in the endo-atmosphere, and a few in the exo-atmosphere. The first phase of the system is expected to be deployed after some more interceptor trials in deployable configuration. Official sources told
The Hindu here that currently the missile testing range on Wheeler Island posed certain limitations as people needed to be evacuated from the villages every time a trial took place. More important, the range of the missile had to be confined to less than 300 km. Also, different trajectories could not be tested.
To overcome these problems, scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) designed the floating testing range — a huge ship with a designated displacement equivalent to 10,000 tonnes.
The state-of-the-art range would have many facilities such as a launch-pad, a launch control centre and a mission control centre.
Work begins
The construction of the range, which has just started, might take at least three to four years for the ship to be ready to conduct the first trial, sources said.
“It will pave the way for conducting trials for different trajectories, varying altitudes and also for higher ranges. We can go up to 1,000-1,500 km without any problem. Currently, we have to conduct simulation tests for longer ranges. Once, this FTR is ready we will be able to carry out live tests,” the sources said.
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Floating test range for missile defence system - The Hindu
New Missile Test Ranges, Ships for Phase 2 BMD System
Maiden test on April 27, 2015 of the PDV exo-atmospheric interceptor of DRDO's Phase 1 Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system.
India currently has two missile test ranges at Chandipur and Wheeler Island.
Phase 2 testing of the BMD system requires two ranges placed well apart along the missile trajectory. DRDO is developing these ranges at Machilipatnam in Seema andhra and Rutland Island in the Andamans.
Target missiles would be launched from specially constructed ships.
Scientists are designing and developing the ships and associated systems such as radar, mission control center, launch control center, communication network and many other equipment needed for phase-II trials, Sarsawat told the press.
On February 3, 2015 Jane's reported that DRDO has received approval from GoI to convert 155 hectares of mangrove forest in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, into a missile launch testing facility.
The proposed site is within a wildlife sanctuary and a case against the project is pending in the Supreme Court. Range development work can only start after a court ruling.
The project was cleared by the petroleum 2012, following DRDO assurances that the test range would not impact plans to prospect for oil and gas in the Krishna river delta.
DRDO had planned to start construction of the test range in 2013
Ocean Surveillance Ship
The Deccan Herald reported on December 23, 2014 that MoD has sanctioned Rs 725 crore for the construction of Ocean Surveillance Ship (OSS) at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL), Visakhapatnam as part of DRDO's BMD program
The ship, P-11184, will feature a helicopter deck and hangar, a long open deck with space for several tracking antennae located at the aft of the forward superstructure.
Dedicated to DRDO's BMD program, the ship will be operated by the Indian Navy.
Designed by Vik Sandvik Design India, the ship has a length of 175 mt, a beam of 22 mt, a depth of 6 mt and and a displacement of over 10,000 tons. It will be powered by 2 x 9,000 kw engines, giving it a maximum speed of 21 knots.
The OSS project is classified and monitored directly by the Prime Minister’s Office. The ship’s keel was laid on June 30, 2014 and the shipyard has been given a timeline of December, 2015 to finish the project.
The Navy, HSL and DRDO reviewed the progress made in the project in during mid December 2014.
HSL received the first financial instalment in February 2013 and one more round is expected as the OSS’s total cost is reportedly about Rs 1,500 crore..
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Thum! Kaun Aata Hai?: New Missile Test Ranges, Ships for Phase 2 BMD System
