Rocket Pride of India

[nightcrawler]

Full text: DefenceDog: Rocket Pride of India

Abstracts

• Then, Tipu Sultan, the head of the principality of Mysore, known as the Tiger of Mysore by the British, led the liberation struggle against colonial troops. According to surviving documents and the testimony of contemporaries, the Army Corps of Tipu Sultan actively enforce the primitive rockets as an aid and weapons of mass support. " The British appreciated the new weapon Tipu Sultan, and after the experience gained by them during the 2nd and 4th Anglo-Mysore War, adopted a similar rocket - the inventor Sir William Congreve created on the basis of their missiles, that bear his name (Congreve Rocket), successfully applied in the Anglo-French and other wars, as well as being on weapons of other countries, including the Russian empire.
• The first phase (from 1958 to 1970) - in its framework was created by an anti-missile system with antitank guided missile and developed the first generation liquid rocket engine thrust of 3000 kgf (presumably with the extensive use of technologies borrowed from the missiles of the Soviet anti-aircraft missile system S-75) . The second (from 1971 to 1979) - as part of this phase efforts of Indian professionals have focused on two areas: "Devil” (Project Devil) and "Valiant” (Project Valiant). Before the "Devil" was tasked to define a national anti-aircraft guided missile on the basis of Soviet missiles of C-75.
• However, studies were not entirely successful, and in 1974 decided to reorient the project "Devil" from the immediate establishment of SAM on the development of advanced missile technology, which "may prove useful in further efforts to create a guided missile weapons."
• The main task of the second project - "Valiant" - it was determined the creation of a ballistic missile with a range starting about 1500 kilometers (some sources even flashed range of 8000 kilometers, which is, of course, can be regarded as just a fantasy), work on it engaged experts DRDL and also in conditions of secrecy. Estimated starting weight of developing ballistic missiles was about 85 tons, a three-stage missile itself - each step based on liquid rocket engine. Direct engineering design work on the project "Valiant" began in 1972, but were initially not shaky or rolls, though May 10, 1974 tests were carried out under the project developed a rocket engine. But then work at an impasse, and after a request formal Delhi about the likelihood of developments on the project "Valiant" in the interests of national civil space program guide DRDL responded negatively, the military-political leadership of India at the end of that year decided to close the project "Valiant"
• The third stage (from 1980 to 1994) - defining a new concept of work aimed at creating different patterns guided missile weapons, which was agreed to develop and implement the previously mentioned complex program development guided missile weapons.
• And highlights the fact that due to the completion of development within this stage missiles with ballistic missiles families "Prithvi" / "Dhanush and Agni and acceptance of their adopted land forces, air and naval forces of India, the country received reliable and effective strategic deterrent - an important factor in the nuclear standoff with neighboring Pakistan as the most likely opponent, and China - as potential enemy, but, so to speak, less likely.