Famous for its exploits during Kargil and indigenously built multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) ‘Pinaka’ was tested from the defence base at Chandipur-on-sea, near here on Wednesday. The test was jointly conducted by the defence scientists and the Indian Army.
Defence sources said four rounds of Pinaka rockets were fired from the launcher kept inside the Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE), a part of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The exercise termed as ‘demonstration trial’ was carried out during noon. One rocket was used in each round.
The Pinaka MBRL, capable of acting as a force-multiplier, will gradually replace the current artillery system.
The tests were aimed at assessing its stability in flight as well as accuracy and consistency. The rocket launcher, which is also known as the Weapon Area System (WAS), can fire rockets with a range of 39-40 km and also launch 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 40 seconds.
A scientist said Pinaka can neutralise a target area of 350 square km and is meant to supplement the existing artillery system at a range beyond 30 km. It can be fitted with a variety of warheads ranging from blast-cum-pre-fragmented high explosives to anti-tank mines.
“Its quick reaction time and high rate of fire provides the Army an edge during low-intensity war-like situations. The unguided rocket system put under trial here could be used to neutralise a higher geographical area with its salvo of rockets,” he added.
Pinaka, which has undergone several tough tests from 1995 and is in its advanced stage of development, was successfully used during the Kargil War.
The Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment has successfully produced the Pinaka system for the Indian Armed forces, to give it concentrated high volume firepower to destroy enemy targets.
Construction of India’s second nuclear submarine has begun at a classified facility in Visakhapatnam, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
This project was launched just 24 months after India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was commissioned.
“The second programme took far lesser time than Arihant to reach the shipyard from the drawing board. This time we had a clear plan and we had learned a lot from our mistakes,” top sources told the daily.
Though exact details of the submarine’s progress have not been made public yet, it is learnt that fabrication of the hull and body has begun. The reactor is being constructed with Russia’s help.
The project is expected to be ready for sea trials by 2015. By that time India would have a Russian submarine and INS Arihant deployed.
The Akula-II class nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, to be renamed INS Chakra, will be handed over to Indian Navy by Russian Navy in November-December on a 10-year lease.
Prahaar, a new quick-reaction, short-range tactical missile, which will fill the gap for a battlefield weapon system in India’s missile arsenal, is all set to be flight-tested on Sunday. It had been under development for the last four years.
The gap that needs to be plugged is between 37.5km (the Pinaka MBRL's range) and the Smwerch-M's quoted range of 90km. And the only way to plug this gap is by procuring 155mm/52-cal self-propelled field artillery howitzers (motorised and tracked) firing rocket-assisted projectiles out to 61.4km, as demonsrated a decade ago by both the Bhim tracked SPH and the Caesar motorized SPH.
The Smerch-M is an area saturation weapon and although it can deliver guided sensor-fuzed munitions, it still does not count as a precision strike weapon. The Indian Army has since 2002 been asking for hypersonic missiles with depressed flight trajectories for high-accuracy (not pinpoint accuracy, mind you) strikes against hostile fixed static targets like POL storage areas (for Brigade- and Divisional-level formations), and transportation infrastructure nodes located along interior lines of communication (consequently making the Prahaar Pakistan-specific).
As such targets are plenty in number, only a limited inventory of 'Prahaars' will be required, like 80 missiles per missile group, which works out to 240 missiles for the three existing missile groups, plus three reload rounds, working out to 720 missiles. In terms of both the cost-benefit ratio and techno-economic matrix, the Prahaar will be extremely cost-effective as it will the free up the IAF's strike aircraft assets to launch strategic and tactical air interdiction sorties, instead of undertaking the extremely hazardous task of battlefield air interdiction. This in turn will dramatically reduce blue-on-blue engagements (which were plenty in the 1965 and 1971 wars) and also dramatically reduce the sensor-to-shooter time-gap that presently prevails as far as the Army's field artillery formations are concerned. In other words, the emphasis is on effects-based operations, and not on the tonnage of TNT dropped in and around the targeted areas.
It has greater accuracy as compared to other unguided missiles India has developed so far with a strike range of 150 km. Moreover, it can handle several targets at once and allow mixture of different kinds of missiles in just one launcher.This solid fueled missile can be launched within 2-3 minutes without any preparation providing significantly better reaction time than liquid fueled Prithvi ballistic missiles.
Terming ‘Prahaar’ as an excellent weapon, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DRDO Director- General VK Saraswat said it would be equipped with omni-directional warheads and initially handled by the Indian Army.
The missile appears to be India’s response to Pakistan’s Nasr, a 60-km range tactical nuclear missile which was tested on April 19.
Defence sources said preparation for the first test at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from here, has reached final stage. Weather permitting, the test will be conducted on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the defence authorities have initiated steps to temporarily shift people residing in the 2-km radius of the test range. A meeting in this regard will be convened with the district administration on Friday to decide the pay package for the people to be displaced for a day.
For Indian Army personnel deployed in high altitude areas, DRDO has built hi-tech shelters that would provide protection to the soldiers against extreme climatic conditions of the Himalayan region.
"The Integrated Thermally Regulated Shelters were dedicated by DRDO chief V K Saraswat to the 14 Corps at a function in Leh yesterday," DRDO officials said here.
These shelters were received by the Corps Commander Lt Gen Ravi Dastane in the presence of W Selvamurthy, a distinguished scientist and senior Army officers.
"These shelters designed and developed by DRDO, are equipped with integrated temperature regulators, biodigestors and air monitoring systems and have been designed to withstand seismic activities upto a level of zone 5, wind velocities upto 55 metre per second and sub-zero temperature upto minus 35 degree Celsius," they said.
Speaking on the occasion, Saraswat stressed on large scale utilisation of solar and other non-conventional energy resources to meet the energy requirements at high altitudes.
Director General of DRDO & Scientific advisor to India's Defence Minister Dr. V.K Saraswat talking about the evolution of India's Missile Development programme & the various projects that have been successfully undertaken & those that are currently under way for the future deployment.
A fascinating lecture that he had delivered. Dr. Saraswat was previously the Chief Controller, R&D, (Missiles and Strategic Systems) at the Defence Research & Development Organisation [DRDO].
Presently the plan for Indian government is to cap its missile range at 5,000km with nuclear warhead. This is seen as a deterrent enough for China the primary adversary. To this end India will test Agni-V IRBM by the end of this year. It has already perfected Agni-III with a range of 3,000km with nuclear warheads. This is enough to hit targets inside China but Agni-V will bring whole of China under threat.
Air Chief Marshal PV Naik on the other hand believes that if we have the capacity to build ICBM's then it should be used. His views are that India has moved out of its Regional sphere of influence and as per that it should have the tools to match the new status. He made it clear that India doesn't have any designs on any countries territory but as a global power it should have weapons of that standing.
To some extent the Air Chief is correct too, in common parlance if you join the big boys club then play like big boys. It will be a strategic mistake to project yourself as a world player diplomatically but leaving your forces behind in the regional sphere.
Naik, who heads the chiefs of staff committee, said, "India should pursue an ICBM programme to acquire ranges of 10,000 km or even more. Breaking out of the regional context is important as the country's sphere of influence grows. We have no territorial designs on any country, but India needs the capability to match its sphere of influence."
At present this capability is with five countries namely china,Russia,France,UK and USA. DRDO believes that it has the technology ready to build ICBM's but the type of warhead and the range of missiles is a political decision. And we all know that most Indian politicians do not have enough courage to take any kind of decision which might upset the Americans or Chinese.
There is one more problem in all this the cost. the cost to develop an ICBM may be as much as 10,000 crore that is 6% of the total Indian defense budget.Ashley J Tellis, senior associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "As of now, New Delhi has no strategic need for deploying ICBMs. But there's no legal regime that stops India from acquiring intercontinental reach."
At present Indian Army has the 3,000Km Agni-III , 2,000Km Agni-II and 750 km Agni-I.
Here is a bit of good news for all Indian's. The much maligned Arjun tank which took nearly 30 years to complete is ready in its new avatar, "Arjun MKII" . this version is being tested right now somewhere in the deserts of Rajasthan. The fantastic part of the story is that the second version of the tank is ready within one year of Government giving the go ahead.
According to DRDO it will be in position to hand over these tanks to the army in large scale by 2014. This time around the testing is being done in a phased manner with the army involvement in each step.
The dozen or so advancement or changes will be tested in an incremental step by step manner. The most important of them is the missile firing capability with a laser homing device. This missile can destroy any tank within the range of 8 km by locking on to it using laser homing which incidentally has been already tested and perfected on Mark-I but it did not become the part of the final product handed over to the army.
Second change will be an Indian engine instead of the German engine which is in place now in the 58 tonne Arjun Mark-I
Other modifications include better explosive-reactive armour for the tank to protect it from enemy missiles and rockets, improving the sighting facility to provide it a wider view of the battlefield, night vision capability and an improved communication system.
The Arjun Mark-II will have over 90 percent indigenous systems on board, except for some hydraulic and electronic systems.
Earlier Army was not in any mood to buy this product but when Arjuns were pitted against the the much famed T-90 tanks of India Armored Division, they were found to be much better. Thus Indian Army placed an order of 124 tanks at a cost of 170 million INR(each) with Heavy Vehicle Factory(Avadhi). This first batch has been handed over to the army. Now the Indian army operates two regiments using these tanks.
Though Indian Army wanted to wait for the MK-II version but an order was needed to keep the production lines in the factory live so it has placed an additional order for 124 tanks more. This is a clear indication that the army brass is now confident with Arjun tanks capability and these will become the mainstay of Indian Army in near the future.
We all know what has happened to Indian artillery modernization program. After the Bofors fiasco Indian Army has had no new artillery gun for the past 30 years.Indian Army needs at least 400 new guns but the 20,000 crore modernization drive is not going anywhere.
Recently it tried to acquire artillery guns more than 3 times and each time the contract had to be scrapped..Many of the guns which were offered by foreign vendors are already blacklisted by Ministry of Defence due various ill-regulatories and allegations of corruption that includes some of the top companies like, Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK); Germany’s Rheinmetall; Israel Military Industries (IMI); and another Israeli company, Soltam. Denel, a South African company, had been blacklisted earlier. Now DRDO has started working on a new artillery gun for the Indian Army therefore it is official now that there will be no foreign gun in the near future except may light field artillery from America.
Indian army which has a requirement of more than 1400 of 155-mm Guns is now counting on ARDE to pull it out of this mess and deliver this guns for trails by 2013 at best, while ARDE with help from Private sector is confident to produce one by 2013 and give it for Army Trials.
Armament Research and Development Establishment, the DRDO's lab in Pune, has already started working on developing indigenous artillery guns for the armed forces, senior DRDO officials said.It plans on fielding not only BHIM the tracked self propelled artillery but also replacements for Bofors in the 152mm 52 caliber howitzers.
India today successfully test-fired its nuclear capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here as part of the user's trial by the Army.
"The indigenously developed missile mounted on a mobile launcher was test-fired from the launch complex-3 in the ITR at around 0905 hours and the trial was fully successful", defence sources said.
"Earlier also, Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials," a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official said.
"Taken from routine production lot during earlier user?s trials by Indian Army, the missile had achieved single digit accuracy reaching close to zero circular error probability (CEP)," the sources said.
Prithvi-II with features to deceive any anti ballistic missiles, had demonstrated flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km in the 2008 user?s trial.
(source PTI)
The most ill fated project of DRDO perhaps was Bhim. It was developed to take advantage of the sturdy chassis of Arjun tank and the advanced artillery gun of South African manufacturer Dennel.
This artillery system is fitted with a complete T6 turret, developed by Denel of South Africa. It is armed with a 155-mm / L52 howitzer, similar to that of the G6-52. Vehicle has a fully automatic ammunition loading system. Maximum range of fire is 41 km with rocket assisted projectile and 52 km with Denel V-LAP rocket assisted projectile. This system is capable of firing standard NATO 155-mm ammunition. Maximum rate of fire is 8 rounds per minute. Sustained rate is 2 rounds per minute. The Bhim is capable of firing 3 rounds burst in 15 seconds. It is also capable of multiple-launch simultaneous impact firing. Up to 6 rounds are launched in different trajectories and hit located 25 km away simultaneously.
Total onboard ammunition capacity is about 40 - 50 rounds. 20 of these rounds are stored in the autoloader. Turret has ammunition loading hatches on both sides. A conveyor belt may be extended for ground ammunition loading and direct feeding of the gun.
Secondary armament of the Bhim howitzer consists of a single 7.62-mm machine gun.
Vehicle is fitted with modern fire control system. It has a fire control computer for automatic gun laying and GPS navigation system. The Bhim artillery system has a crew of four, however it's high level of automation allows to reduce the crew to two men in a fully automatic mode. It consists of commander, gunner, loader and driver.
Unfortunately Dennel got involved in a bribery scam and was blacklisted from India, thus ended its participation in the project. The only vendor left in the fray was the K-9 South Korean Firm. Because of the single vendor situation whole contract was scrapped..
In its June edition of tech focus DRDO claims that the army is satisfied with the new look Bhim. Please read the document given below.
With the growing threat of China on our eastern border and its activities on our western border growing day by day.This has made India uncomfortable. With Pakistan being armed by china for future conflict with India and act like a satellite state of China , it has become imperative for India to look for weapons which can strike Chinese cities. Thus DRDO has decided to test AGNI-V by the end of 2011 most probably in December.
One of the greatest advantage China has is its strategic depth due to its size which is much greater than that of India. At present most of the Northern regions of china are beyond the range of Indian missiles. On the other hand Chinese missiles can hit any Indian territory even when launched from deep within China like the Dong-Feng series of missiles.
Indian Army has already started inducting missiles with the range of 3,500km called AGNI-III, AGNI-I(700km+) and AGNI-II(2,000km +). AGNI-I is a medium, range Ballistic Missile while AGNI-II and AGNI-III are intermediate range ballistic missile. But the policy makers clearly realize that this is not enough we must have the option of nuclear strikes deep within Chinese territory specially targeting their shore based industrial complexes. To achieve that particular goal India is looking to fast-track Agni-V project. It may be remembered that few years back under pressure form China and the west this particular project was shelved by the Indian government.
Agni V unlike its predecessors is a canister launched missile which can be mobilized quickly by road. It will give India the much needed Nuclear strike capability. (It must be noted that Agni-V is still not intercontinental ballistic missile, thus it is called near ICBM). With high road mobility, fast-reaction ability and a strike range over 5,000 km, Agni-V would even bring China's northernmost regions within its nuclear strike envelope if it is ever required.
India's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) has made its forthcoming Agni-5 missile highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road, which would bring Harbin, China's northernmost city within striking range if the Agni-5 is moved to northeast India," the People's Daily reported. Harbin is the capital of China's Heilongjiang Province
The paper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, noted that the Agni-5 which has a range of 5,000 km is similar to the Dongfeng-31A showcased during China's National Day Military Parade on October 1 in Beijing. India is going to test-fire the missile in early 2011, the report claimed.
Agni-V would also carry MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) payloads being concurrently developed. A single MIRVed missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets even if they are separated by long distances.
"We have tested the three (solid-propellant composite rocket motor) stages of Agni-V independently...all ground tests are now over. The integration process is now in progress. We want to test the missile in December, not let it spill over to 2012," DRDO chief V K Saraswat told TOI on Friday.
This came after defence minister A K Antony, addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony, asked defence scientists to "demonstrate" the 5,000-km missile's capability "at the earliest".
With a "launch mass" of around 50 tonne and a development cost of over Rs 2,500 crore, Agni-V will incorporate advanced technologies involving ring laser gyroscope and accelerator for navigation and guidance. It takes its first stage from Agni-III, with a modified second stage and a miniaturized third stage to ensure it can fly to distances beyond 5,000 km.
An ICBM, incidentally, usually denotes a missile capable of hitting targets over 5,500 km away, and has largely been the preserve of the Big-5 countries till now.
The Missile is also called K-V+ /XV. DRDO is working on a Submarine Launched Version of the Agni-V missile, which will provide India with a credible sea based second strike capability. The SLBM version is a miniaturized version of the Agni-V.
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has certainly tested the patience of the Indian air force and the Indian defense establishment, but the coming weeks may finally yield important breakthroughs to fielding the indigenously developed aircraft.
Next month, Tejas is due to undergo a second phase of night trials and, if the systems perform as advertised, it will be cleared for night attack, a crucial requirement to achieve full operational clearance (FOC) as a day/night, all-weather platform by December 2012.
The Tejas recently began its first phase of night attack trials. The fifth limited-series-production aircraft (LSP‑5), in the final Mk.1 configuration that includes a night-vision-capable cockpit, was used in six night flights in which test pilots conducted mock targeting and attack drills to test simulated avionics and integration of weapons and sensors. The aircraft’s modified ELTA Systems multimode radar and Rafael Litening pod were both tested during the flights.
Following the first six tests last month, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said, “The preliminary results indicate that the integrated system performed very well, meeting the requirements of night operations. The flights also tested the helmet-mounted display system [Elta DASH] and instrument landing system.”
With the Indian air force set on establishing its first Tejas squadron in 2013, the next 16 months are crucial for the project test team. There are several flight-envelope expansion tasks still unfinished, including assessing angle of attack, g-forces and sustained turn rate. The next limited-series-production aircraft, LSP-6, is expected to be dedicated to resolving those issues quickly.
The air force is putting pressure on developments. Before Tejas reached initial operational clearance (IOC), the service waived some requirements, but it is firm it will not do so again for FOC, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik made clear during a Tejas ceremony in January when IOC was attained. “We’ve waited a long time for the Tejas. We don’t want a partial platform. We want everything fully operational,” he said.
The absence of certain capabilities that the Tejas team promised but could not deliver for IOC in January 2011 did not please the service, which was finally forced to extract assurances that the untested capabilities will be completed by next month. These include wake penetration tests as well as all-weather, day/night and lightning clearances. Several test points in weapons delivery in different configurations remain on the team’s must-do list and will continue through into next year. So far, the Tejas has only conducted live drops of gravity bombs and Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missiles. Strike profiles are being tested at the DRDO’s new bombing range outside Bengaluru.
In the next few months, Tejas platforms will fire air-to-ground munitions such as cluster weapons, laser-guided bombs and S-8 rocket pods against still and moving targets. Rafael’s Derby beyond-visual-range missile is expected to be a standard on the Tejas, with trials scheduled a year from now. Reports suggest a contract could be signed shortly. In its final Mk.1 configuration, the air force also expects the Tejas to be fully capable of deploying Kh-59-series stand-off strike weapons and Kh-35/31 antiship missiles.
The next big item on the program time line is the first flight of the LCA navy variant, expected in the next two months. Its progress has been delayed by issues with weight, landing gear and sink-rate parameters.
Meanwhile, India’s troubled and hugely delayed Kaveri turbofan engine development effort—once linked to the Tejas program—has made some progress in flight trials. Between November 2010 and April this year, the engine has powered an Iluyshin Il-76 flying testbed on 11 flights outside Moscow. The Kaveri, delinked from the Tejas program several years ago because of persistent failures to meet requirements, is being completed in cooperation with Snecma (and its M88 ECO core) for India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft and, in a modified form, the country’s concept stealth unmanned combat aircraft known as AURA.
Update: Astra test failed the first time(on Friday) due to a technical snag during the maneuver phase. Read more about it A flight-test of air-to-air missile Astra failed on Friday after it developed a snag during a manoeuvre after being launched from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa. The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
DRDO's Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Avinash Chander said the mission could not be completed as the missile developed a “control-related fault” when a manoeuvre was attempted. “A snag developed during a manoeuvre. The missile lost control after it reached a certain height. A team is analysing the data.”
Astra, a single-stage missile, is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in a head-on mode at a range of 80 km. It can carry a 15-kg warhead. There are plans to equip fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas with it after the completion of its air-launched trials.
For the second day in a row, India conducted a successful ballistic flight test of indigenously developed Astra - Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile - from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur on Saturday.
"The missile was test-fired around 1032 hrs and the trial was successful," Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said.
The missile is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.
"Before the sophisticated anti air-craft missile would be integrated with fighter aircraft like Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, it would undergo some rigorous and flawless tests both from ground and fighter jets," said a scientist associated with the project.
Astra, which uses solid propellant, can carry a conventional warhead of 15 kg. It is the smallest of the missiles developed by the DRDO in terms of size and weight.
It is 3.8-metre long and has a diameter of 178 mm with an overall launch weight of 160 kg. The missile could be launched from different altitudes -- it can cover 110 km when launched from an altitude of 15 km, 44 km when fired from an altitude of eight km and 21 km when the altitude is sea-level.
DRDO officials said it was more advanced than the similar class of missiles of the US, Russia and France.
The missile's captive flight tests from Su-30MKI were carried out near Pune in November 2009 when seven sorties were conducted.
Astra's first flight trial took place on May 9, 2003 from the ITR at Chandipur.
The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is once again set to woo the Indian Army with its new carbine, a weapon that has left a trail of controversy in recent years. The Army is looking for a new version of carbine for a couple of years but things have not really moved.
After an earlier plan to make a carbine in association with a global firm M/s Singapore Technologies went haywire following an alleged corruption scandal, OFB has now tied up with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to produce the weapon. Named Milap, for the joint venture, the OFB-DRDO carbine is expected to be shortly presented to the Army for trials.
The cost of making Milap is estimated to be Rs 50,000, which is half of what it was envisaged with Singapore Technologies. Carbine is an automatic weapon generally used for close quarter battle.
Around 20 prototypes of Milap would be ready in a month's time and presented to the Army. The bulk production would depend on approval and indent by the user, said Director General of OFB D M Gupta. He was in the city to attend a high-level meeting to decide on future strategy held at the National Academy of Defence Production (NADP).
The carbine to be made in association with Singapore Technologies was estimated to have cost Rs 1.10 lakh apiece, said a source. However, an alleged scandal related to the deal led to the arrest of the then DG OFB Sudipto Gosh a couple of years ago and the firm being blacklisted.
Earlier, the OFB had developed a 5.56 mm carbine Amogh. However, it did not get the acceptability among forces. The weapon was offered to both Army as well as the central paramilitary forces. However, both did not show much interest in it, said a source.
Sources said Milap would have a better range and accuracy compared to the existing one used by the forces. The prototypes will be made at the Small Arms Factory, Kanpur. Once the order is received, manufacturing will take place at a new factory coming up at Korba in Chhattisgarh. Even if Milap is does not clear the user trials by the Army, the one approved will be made at Korba.
After the Singapore Technologies deal was set aside, the Army once again began scouting for vendors for a carbine and had issued a request for information. The process started afresh and OFB-DRDO is one of the contenders. There are chances that the Army may go in for a foreign weapon too.
Rustom 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was successfully tested today.
"Rustom 1" being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO lab engaged in pioneering R&D work in the field of aeronautics, has an endurance of 14 hours and altitude ceiling of 8000 metres," a DRDO release said.
"Rustom 1 has been achieved by converting a manned aircraft into a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by removing pilot seat and making required electrical, mechanical and aerodynamic modifications", the release said.
The test flight was conducted at the airfield belonging to the M/s Taneja Aerospace (TAAL) located near Hosur. Many improvements have been carried out since the last flight, in terms of piloting, landing and taxiing,it said.
The flight was a precursor to one with payloads as required by the Services.
"The complete sequence of events went off well to the total satisfaction of the scientists and technical personnel of the Bangalore’s Aeronautical Development Establishment who have developed the UAV," the release said.
Prahlada, chief controller of research and development (aeronautics programme), said "with the successful accurate flying of Rustom 1,ADE is geared up for integration of payloads with the Aircraft within next three months, to demonstrate performance of payloads and necessary secure data-link to the users."
Update : A flight-test of air-to-air missile Astra failed on Friday after it developed a snag during a manoeuvre after being launched from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa. The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
DRDO's Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Avinash Chander said the mission could not be completed as the missile developed a “control-related fault” when a manoeuvre was attempted. “A snag developed during a manoeuvre. The missile lost control after it reached a certain height. A team is analysing the data.”
Astra, a single-stage missile, is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in a head-on mode at a range of 80 km.
It can carry a 15-kg warhead.
There are plans to equip fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas with it after the completion of its air-launched trials.
BALASORE (ORISSA): India on Friday carried out the ballistic flight test of Astra -- Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile -- from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here today.
The missile was fired around 0950 hours, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said, adding two more tests are likely to be conducted in the next two days.
The missile is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.
"The main purpose of today's trial is to gauge the performance of the motor, propulsion system and the configurations of the vehicle and aero-dynamics evaluation," said a DRDO scientist.
However, we are yet to know whether the test has been successful. Two more tests are likely to be conducted in the next two days," they said
The data is being analysed by the scientists to ascertain the outcome of the trial.
Astra, which uses solid propellant, can carry a conventional warhead of 15 kg. It is 3.8-meter long and has a diameter of 178 mm with an overall launch weight of 160 kg.
The missile could be launched from different altitudes. It can cover 110 km when launched from an altitude of 15 km, 44 km when fired from an altitude of eight km and 21 km when the altitude is sea-level.DRDO officials said it is more advanced than the similar class of missiles of the US, Russia and France.
The missile, after its final trials, would be integrated with fighter aircraft Su-30 MKI.
DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat told the press on March 21, 2010, that the Ballistic Missile System is being developed in two phases under a capability based deployment plan.
In the first phase, which is currently underway, DRDO will develop and deploy a system for defense against missiles with less than 2,000 km range like Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles.
In the second phase, system capability will be upgraded to defend against missiles with ranges greater than 2,000 km that can additionally deploy decoys or maneuver.
Phase 1 system will be deployed within two years and Phase 2 system by 2016.
The Phase 2 system will require longer range radars (Detection range of 1,500km as opposed to 600 km for Phase 1 radars), and new hypersonic interceptor missiles flying at Mach 6-7 (As opposed to Mach 4-5 for Phase 1 missiles) with agility and the capability to discriminate against ballistic missile defence counter measures.
“Our effort is to have interception at very high altitudes, and the entire system will be able to handle multiple, simultaneous attacks,” Saraswat said.
Indian BMD program has a two-tiered system namely Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) for high altitude interception and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) for lower altitude interception. The PAD missiles are for intercepting ballistic missiles at altitudes between 50-80 km and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile is for destroying them at heights ranging 15-30 km.
India\'s future plans include two new anti ballistic missiles that can intercept Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) namely Advanced Defence (AD-1 and AD-2) which would be capable of intercepting and destroying a missile at a range around 5,000 km.
Entities Involved in Development
Development of the anti-ballistic missile system began in 1999. Around 40 public and private companies were involved in the development of the systems. They include Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Astra Microwave, ASL, Larsen & Toubro, Vem Technologies Private Limited and KelTech. Development of the LRTR and MFCR (Multi-function Fire Control Radar) was led by Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).
Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) developed the mission control software for the AAD missile. Research Centre, Imarat (RCI) developed navigation, electromechanical actuation systems and the active radar seeker. Advanced System Laboratory (ASL) provided the motors, jet vanes and structures for the AAD and PAD. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) supplied the propellants for the missile.
How It Works
The two-tiered BMD System consists of the PAD, which will intercept missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 50–80 km (31–50 mi) and the AAD missile for interception at endo-atmospheric altitudes of up to 30 km. The deployed system would consist of many launch vehicles, radars, Launch Control Centers (LCC) and the Mission Control Center (MCC). All these are geographically distributed and connected by a secure communication network.
The MCC is the software intensive system of the ballistic missile defense system. It receives information from various sources such as radars and satellites which is then processed by ten computers which run simultaneously. The MCC is connected to all other elements of the defense through a WAN. MCC performs target classification, target assignment and kill assessment. It also acts as a decision support system for the commander. It can also decide the number of interceptors required for the target for an assured kill probability.[10] After performing all these functions, the MCC assigns the target to the LCC of a launch battery. The LCC starts computing the time to launch the interceptor based upon information received from a radar based on the speed, altitude and flight path of the target. LCC prepares the missile for launch in real time and carries out ground guidance computation.
After the interceptor is launched, it is provided target information from the radar through a datalink. When the interceptors close onto the target missile, it activates the radar seeker to search for the target missile and guides itself to intercept the target. Multiple PAD and AAD interceptors can be launched against a target for high kill probability.
Phase 1 System Overview
The system will be based on radar technology for tracking and fire control which the DRDO developed jointly with Israel and France.
It will be implemented as a two tiered terminal phase interceptor system comprising of
1. Prithvi Air Defense (PAD) exo-atmospheric interceptor missile for intercepting targets outside the atmosphere.
2. Advanced Air Defense (AAD) endo-atmospheric interceptor missile for intercepting targets up to an attitude of 30 kms .
3. 'Swordfish' Long Range Tracking Radar (LRTR). The Swordfish LRTR has been developed jointly by India and Israel. It is based on the Israeli Green Pine early warning and fire control radar imported by India from Israel in 2001-2002.
The integrated exo and endo-atmospheric systems offer a hit-to-kill probability of 99.8 per cent.
Prithvi Air Defense
To begin with the exo-atmospheric interceptor PAD-1 was a two stage missile with one liquid and one solid stage.
The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) is an anti-ballistic missile developed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside of the atmosphere (exo-atmospheric). Based on the Prithvi missile, PAD is a two stage missile with a maximum interception altitude of 80 km. The first stage is a liquid fuelled motor while the second stage is solid fuelled. It has maneuver thrusters which can generate a lateral acceleration of more than 5 Gs at 50 km altitude. Guidance is provided by an inertial navigation system with mid-course updates from LRTR and active radar homing in the terminal phase. PAD has capability to engage the 300 to 2,000 km class of ballistic missiles at a speed of Mach 5.
LRTR is the target acquisition and fire control radar for the PAD missile. It is an active phased array radar having capability to track 200 targets at a range of 600 km. The PAD missile has also been called Pradyumna.
Further development led to the improvement of the interception range to the 80 to 50 km range. The improved missile will utilize a gimbaled directional warhead, a technology that until now has only been used by the US and Russia. This technology allows for a smaller warhead to destroy the target missile.
On March 6, 2009 DRDO carried out a second successful test of the PAD interceptor missile. The target used was ship launched Dhanush missile which followed the trajectory of a missile with range of a 1,500 km. The target was tracked by Swordfish (LRTR) radar and destroyed by the PAD at 75 km altitude.
PDV Interceptor Missile
In 2009, reports emerged of a new missile named the PDV. The PDV is said to be a two solid stage hypersonic anti-ballistic missile similar in class to the THAAD. The PDV is intended to replace the existing PAD in the PAD/AAD combination. It will have an IIR seeker for its kill vehicle as well. The PDV will replace the PAD with a far more capable missile and will complete the Phase 1 of the BMD system, allowing it to be operational by 2013. Whereupon Phase 2 development will take over for protection against missiles of the 5,000 km range class.
The PAD-1 missile is now being replaced with the PDV missile, which does away with the liquid fuel first stage and has two solid fuel stages.
The PDV will armed with a 'kill vehicle' which destroys the enemy missile and equipped with a innovative system to allow the missile to maneuver at altitudes approaching 30km, where the air is thinner.
The first trial of the missile is scheduled for late June or early July 2010.
"The PDV will be the mainstay of the defence shield," Dr Saraswat told India Today in June 2010.
Advanced Air Defense
Advanced Air Defence (AAD) is an anti-ballistic missile designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in the endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km. AAD is single stage, solid fuelled missile. Guidance is similar to that of PAD: it has an inertial navigation system, midcourse updates from ground based radar and active radar homing in the terminal phase. It is 7.5 m tall, weighs around 1.2 tons and a diameter of less than 0.5 metres.
On 6 December 2007, AAD successfully intercepted a modified Prithvi-II missile acting as an incoming ballistic missile enemy target. The endo-atmospheric interception was carried out at an altitude of 15 km. The interceptor and all the elements performed in a copy book fashion validating the endo-atmospheric layer of the defense system.
Due to two successful interceptor missile tests carried out by India, the scientists have said that the AAD missile could be modified into a new extended range (up to 150 km) surface-to-air missile that could be possibly named as 'Ashvin'.
On 15 March 2010, AAD interceptor missile test failed. The AAD missile was to intercept the target at an altitude of 15 to 20 km over the sea. The target, a Prithvi missile, fired from a mobile launcher deviated from its trajectory after traveling about 11 km and fell into the sea.
On 26 July 2010, AAD was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island off the Orissa's east coast.
The endo-atmospheric interceptor AAD is a 7.5m long, single stage solid fueled missile, equipped with a ring laser gyro based inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro- mechanical actuators totally under command by the data up-linked from the sophisticated ground based radars to the interceptor.
P-Charge Interceptor Warhead
The AAD interceptor is equipped with a P-charge [projectile charge] warhead that can penetrate thick steel and cause damage with a high hit [repeat hit] density.
"That means the number of holes you create per unit area is very high," a DROD official told the press in October, 2009.
Phase 2 System
Phase 2 Interceptor Missiles
The Phase 2 missile defense system will be based on the AD-1 and AD-2 interceptor missile that are currently under development.
Phase 2 interceptors will have speeds of 6-7 Mach and they will be hypersonic. Missiles will have lesser time to intercept. Guidance systems have to be far more energetic and quick responsive.
"Ground testing of the AD-1 will begin next year and the AD-1 missile will be test-fired in 2012," Saraswat told India Today in June 2010.
These interceptors would be capable of shooting down missiles that have ranges greater than 5,000 km, which follow a distinctly different trajectory than a missile with a range of 2,000 km or less. During their final phase, ICBMs hurtle towards their targets at speeds twice those of intermediate range missiles.
The Phase 2 system will match the capability of the THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missiles deployed by the United States as part of its missile shield beginning this year. THAAD missiles can intercept ballistic missiles over 200 km away and track targets at ranges in excess of 1,000 km.
Phase 2 Radar
Unlike the Phase 1 Swordfish radar developed by India in partnership with Israel, the radar to support Phase 2 interception will have 80% indigenous component, DRDO chief VK Saraswat told the press on May 15, 2011.
"Only some of the equipments and consultancy would be provided by Israel," Saraswat said.
Floating Test Range for Phase 2 system
A floating test range is being developed for developing the Phase 2 system.
Scientists have started designing the ship and associated systems such as radar, mission control centre, launch control centre, communication network and many other equipment needed for phase-II trials, Sarsawat told the press.
BMD Tests
A total of five successful test of the BMD system have been carried out: Two using the PAD exo-atmospheric interceptor and three using the AAD endo-atmospheric interceptor.
First Test
On March 6, 2006 a PAD missile successfully intercepted a modified Dhanush surface-to-surface missile fired from INS Rajput anchored inside the Bay of Bengal, towards Wheeler Island, simulating a target “enemy” missile with a range of 1,500 km.
Second Test
On November 27, 2006 a PAD missile intercepted a Prithvi ballistic missile at 48 km altitude.
Third Test
In December 2007 an AAD missile intercepted a target missile at an altitude of 15kms.
The interceptor used a 'gimbaled directional warhead' or a warhead only one side of which explodes close to an incoming ballistic missile, shattering it.
The Advanced Air Defense (AAD) interceptor has so far been successfully tested up to an altitude of 15 kms.
The interceptor will next engage an incoming target missile at 30 km to validate the efficacy of the missile in its entire endo-atmospheric envelope.
(Date in the video is misleading)
Fourth Test Aborted
A test of the AAD missile on March 15, 2010 at 10010 was aborted after the modified Prithvi (Dhanush) missile launched to simulate the target deviated from its flight path.
In the test, a Dhanush missile launched from a naval ship was be guided along a trajectory similar to that of an 1,500 km range Ghauri missile in its terminal phase zeroing in on the Wheeler Island, off Damra village on the Orissa coast. A PAD interceptor launched from Wheeler Island was to intercep the "enemy" missile with a hit to kill at 70-80 km.
In an explanatory statement, DRDO said:
"The target missile took off in normal way; at T+20 sec (approx) the target deviated due to some onboard system malfunction and could not maintain the intended trajectory, failing to attain the desired altitude profile. The Mission Control Centre computer found that the interception is not warranted as the deviated target did not present the incoming missile threat scenario and accordingly the system intelligently did not allow take-off of the interceptor missile for engaging the target. The cause of the target malfunction is being investigated by analysis of tele-metered data."
On March 18, after analyzing the telemetry and other data, DRDO scientists conclude they had figured out the reason for the failure.
The target missile reached an altitude of nearly 65 km and then spiralled down into the Bay of Bengal having travelled 27 km.
Fuel leak caused test failure
On April 11, 2010, DRDO Chief VK Sarsawat said:
“Analysis of the earlier trial revealed there was a leakage in the target missile leading to system failure. We are rectifying it to ensure the next flight test in June will hit the target and demonstrate our advance capability in developing the missile defence shield against any adversary missile attack.”
He was speaking at the sidelines of a national convention on 'The Frontiers of Aeronautical Technologies', organised by the Aeronautical Society of India in Bangalore..
Fifth Test
A Prithvi target missile lifts off during a BMD test on July 26, 2010
A test of the AAD interceptor missile was conducted on Monday, July 26. The test was partially successful as the missile failed to score a direct hit.
A modified surface-to-surface Prithvi was launched from a mobile launcher at 10:05 am from launch complex-3 of ITR at Chandipur-on-sea.
The interceptor AAD missile, positioned at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across sea from Chandipur, engaged the target missile at an altitude of 15 km.
The warhead exploded within a few metres of the target missile releasing multiple bullet-like particles which hit and destroyed the target missile 26 seconds after its launch. The debris which fell into the sea was tracked by radars located along the coast.
The AAD missile for the first time used P-charge directional warhead.
A DRDO press release cryptically stated
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), today successfully conducted fourth consecutive Interceptor Missile test in Endo atmospheric regime at 15 Km altitude off ITR, Chandipur, Orissa. The single stage Interceptor Missile fitted with Directional Warhead and other advanced systems neutralized the target.
The target ballistic ‘enemy’ missile was launched from Launch Complex – III, ITR Chandipur. The Interceptor Missile fitted with directional warhead was launched from Wheeler Island and destroyed the Target Missile breaking it into fragments. This was tracked by various Radars and sensors. All weapon system elements including Command and Control, Communication and Radar performed satisfactorily.
Sixth Test
AAD Interceptor missile test on Sunday, March 6, 2011.
An AAD interceptor missile armed with a P-charge directional warhead was successfully tested on Sunday, March 6, 2011.
A Target Missile mimicking an enemy Ballistic Missile with a 600-km range was launched from Launch Complex –III, ITR, Chandipur at 9.32 AM. The target missile climbed to an altitude of 120 km and began its downward trajectory.
The missile tracking network consisting of long range and multi function Radars and other Range sensors positioned at different locations detected and identified the incoming Missile threat.
The radars tracking the Ballistic Missile constructed the trajectory of the missile and continuous complex computations were done in real time by ground guidance computer to launch the interceptor at an exact time.
The fully automatic launch computer launched the interceptor at 9.37 AM and the onboard INS (Inertial Navigation System) and ground based Radars guided the interceptor to the target (incoming Ballistic Missile).
The Interceptor intercepted the Ballistic Missile at an altitude of 16 km and blasted the missile into pieces. It was a text book launch and all the events and mission sequence took place as expected.
The falling debris was tracked by various radars and sensors.
The test was witnessed by Scientific Advisor to Defense Minister V.K. Saraswat and other top DRDO officials.
Following the successful launch, Sarsawat told the press that after launch the interceptor maneuvered in the direction of the target; the maneuvered is referred to as the “least energy maneuver. In the terminal phase of the attacker's flight, as it was hurtling towards the earth, the interceptor's radio frequency seeker “acquired the target, rolled the interceptor in the right direction and, when it was a few meters from the target, gave the command to the directional warhead to explode,” Dr. Saraswat explained.
The warhead detonated, blasting the attacker to pieces. The ground-based radars and the sensors on board the targeted missile tracked the debris, which rained down over the Bay of Bengal, “confirming a very good kill,” the DRDO Director-General said. “Based on the data from the target, a 100 per cent kill was achieved.” The radars were located at Konark and Kendrapara, near Paradip, in Orissa.
It was earlier reported that the test would involve a maneuvering target missile. The report had quoted DRDO sources as saying it will be “a tricky mission” because the attacker would have a manoeuvrable trajectory and try to dodge the interceptor from homing in on it.
The test was earlier scheduled for for February 10, 2011.
PDV Test
DRDO had scheduled a test of its PDV Phase-1 endo-atmospheric interceptor missile in end June - early July 2011.
"We will have a test in end June or early July and are calling this new missile the PDV and it will have two solid stages," Dr Saraswat had said.
Boost Phase Missile Defense
The Laser and Science Technology Centre (LASTEC) is also reported to be developing lasers to takeout enemy missiles during their boost phase, when they are most vulnerable.
"It's easier to kill a missile in boost phase as it has not gained much speed and is easier to target. It cannot deploy any countermeasures and it is vulnerable at that time," DRDO's Air Defense Program Director V K Saraswat told PTI in January 2009.
"In LASTEC, we are developing many of these technologies. We have to package these technologies on aircraft like the Americans have done on their systems," he added.
"It is an involved process and not just about producing lasers. We have to put in many systems like the surveillance and tracking systems together for such a system to work. It will take another 10-15 years before we talk of integrating all these elements," he said.
A Boost Phase Missile defense system will need to rely on a space based launch detection system like the SBIRS satellite constellation being deployed by the US. Unlike the SBIRS, which is global in scope, India would require a more limited system to monitor Pakistan and China. India could also buy into the US SBIRS while developing its own limited constellation.
Satellite Kill Vehicle
ISRO is developing a satellite kill vehicle as part of its BMD system, according to DRDO Defense Research and Development Organization Director General V.K. Saraswat.
The hit-to-kill vehicle will use an imaging infra-red seeker and a 3-D laser image of a target satellite in low earth orbit to guide itself to impact.
No tests of the system have been scheduled so far.
"We are working to ensure space security and protect our satellites. At the same time we are also working on how to deny the enemy access to our space assets," Saraswat told newsmen at the Science Congress on January 4.
Capability Maturity
On February 10, DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat told the press that India’s BMD programme is more advanced than China’s.
“This (BMD) is one area where we are senior to China. We knew they had acquired the building blocks for BMD when they shot down a satellite in 2007. But we have been working on this programme since 1999.”
After successfully demonstrating the Akashdeep aerostat system, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will develop a bigger and better aerostat system with additional payload. DRDO chief controller, R&D (Aerospace & Services Interaction) Dr Prahlada told that the new aerostat system will be bigger in size compared to the medium-range Akashdeep.
India's new eye in the sky can carry out surveillance up to a radius of 450-500kms and is being developed based on the feedback from the Air Force and the Army received during the Aero India 2011. The new system will be used by the army and paramilitary forces.
Dr Prahlada said paramilitary forces have showed interest in the aerostat which can be used for surveillance activities in the Maoist-infested areas.
The aerostat system, to be developed by the Agra based by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), will be equipped with a wide range of payloads. It can carry out surveillance during night and in low-visibility condition and also intercept a variety of communication.
The aerostats gimbals, with 360 degree azimuth freedom, can carry out steering, scanning and tracking with high precision.
Defence experts say the deployment of aerostats at the borders along with the Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C) will redefine the battle surveillance capabilities as armed forces can neutralise attacks from adversaries well in advance.
In addition to the aerostat, India's indigenous Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C) which is being built on a modified Embraer EMB-145 aircraft in Brazil will be brought to India in August, said Prahlada.
The modified aircraft will be integrated with Active-Array Antenna Unit, mission systems, radar, etc by the Bangalore- based Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS).
"Following the integration the first flight is expected to take place in January next year," he added.
Related Older News
The system has been designed, developed and integrated by the Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra Cantt
Add caption
The system was successfully test flown up to one km altitude at Agra over several days. Trials of the system were concluded on Saturday, December 25, 2010.
The aerostat carried out surveillance all over Agra and intercepted a variety of communications.
ADRDE has earlier worked on parachutes, lighter than air systems, floatation systems and aircraft arrester barriers. It has developed and supplied various types of parachutes for wide range of applications viz. Paradropping men, weapons, Combat Vehicles, Stores etc, braking of fighter Aircraft and Recovery of payloads pertaining to missiles, UAV and space missions.
Over the last few years, ADRDE has diversified into the field of lighter-than-Air (LTA) technologies and developed small and medium size Aerostats.
