India’s Missile Capability

India’s Missile Capability

Subject – Defence and Security

Context – At a seminar organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Minister encouraged scientists to work towards developing hypersonic missile technology.

Concept –

History of missile technology in India –

• Before Independence, several kingdoms in India were using rockets as part of their warfare technologies.
  • Mysore ruler Hyder Ali started inducting iron-cased rockets in his army in the mid-18th century.
  • By the time Hyder’s son Tipu Sultan died, a company of rocketeers was attached to each brigade of his army, which has been estimated at around 5,000 rocket-carrying troops.
• At the time of Independence, India did not have any indigenous missile capabilities.
• The government created the Special Weapon Development Team in 1958.
  • This was later expanded and called the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), which moved from Delhi to Hyderabad by 1962.
• In 1972, Project Devil, for the development of a medium range Surface-to-Surface Missile was initiated. A large number of infrastructure and test facilities were established during this period.
  • By 1982, DRDL was working on several missile technologies under the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP).

What kind of missiles does India have?

• India is considered among the top few nations when it comes to designing and developing missiles indigenously, although it is way behind the US, China and Russia in terms of range.

Among the surface-launched systems –

• ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE:
  • Nag has already been inducted into the services. Nag is the only “fire-and-forget ATGM meeting all weather requirements for its range (around 20 km)”.
  • Recently Heli-Nag was tested, which will be operated from helicopters and will be inducted by 2022.
  • There is also a Stand-off Anti-Tank (SANT) missile, with a range over 10 km.
• SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE:
  • The short-range SAM system Akash has already been inducted in the Army and the Air Force.
  • For Akash 1, which has a seeker, which enhances target detection in all weather conditions, the Army has already got the Acceptance of Necessity from the government.
  • For Akash (New Generation), the first tests were conducted in July this year.
• MEDIUM-RANGE SAM:
  • Production of MRSAM systems for the Navy is complete, and it is placing its order.
  • The Jaisalmer-based 2204 Squadron of the Air Force became the first unit to get the MRSAM systems in September this year.
  • Technology for MRSAM for the Army “is also in a good shape and will be flight-tested soon”.
• SHORT-RANGE SAM:
  • For the Navy, the first flight tests have been successfully conducted.

Several air-launched systems –

• AIR-TO-AIR
  • Astra, India’s Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), has been completely tested and is under induction. It has a range of around 100 km.
  • A long-range Astra is also being developed, for which initial tests have been conducted. The missile uses solid fuel ramjet technology, which enhances speed, and will have an indigenously-built seeker.
• AIR-TO-GROUND:
  • Rudram, a New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGRAM), has cleared initial tests. With a maximum range of around 200 km, the missile mainly targets communication, radar and surveillance systems of the adversary.
  • BrahMos, which India developed jointly with Russia, is already operational. It has a 300 km to 500 km range, and is a short-range, ramjet-powered, single warhead, supersonic anti-ship or land attack cruise missile.

Which of India’s missile systems are most important?

• The two most important are Agni and Prithvi, both being used by the Strategic Forces Command.
• Agni (range around 5,000 ) , is India’s only contender for an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is available with only a few countries.
• Prithvi, although a short-range surface-to-surface missile with a 350 km range, has strategic uses.
• India also tested a anti-satellite system in April 2019. A modified anti-ballistic missile named Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mk 2 was used to hit a low-orbit satellite. It put India only behind the US, Russia and China in this capability.

Hypersonic technology

• India has been working on this for a few years, and is just behind the US, Russia and China.
• DRDO successfully tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrated Vehicle (HSTDV) in September 2020, and demonstrated its hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology.
• According to sources, India has developed its own cryogenic engine and demonstrated it in a 23-second flight. India will try to make a hypersonic cruise missile, using HSTDV.
• Sources said only Russia has proven its hypersonic missile capability so far, while China has demonstrated its HGV capacity.
• India is expected to be able to have a hypersonic weapons system within four years, with medium- to long-range capabilities.

Where do China stand compared to India?

• China is ahead of India. According to a Pentagon report in 2020, China may have either achieved parity, or even exceeded the US in land-based conventional ballistic and cruise missile capabilities.
• India’s only nuclear missiles are Prithvi and Agni, but beyond those, tactical nuclear weapons can be fired from some IAF fighter jets or from Army guns, which have a low range, around 50 km.