1 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. India Missile Dev. Programme S&T (Paper-3) Copyright © Aspire IAS All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Aspire lAS. 2 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. India successfully conducted night trial of Agni-I ballistic missile Theme: Agni-I Ballistic Missile (The Hindu) (Economic times, Indian express, The Wire ETC) Helpful: PT & Mains (S&T) In news: • It weighs 12 tonnes and is 15-metre-long. • • India has successfully carried out night user trial It is designed to carry payload of more than one tonne (both conventional and nuclear warhead). of agni-I short-range nuclear-capable ballistic • It is single stage missile powered by solid missile. propellents. • The test flight was conducted by Indian Army's • It can hit a target 700 km away. Strategic Forces Command off Abdul Kalam • its strike range can be extended by reducing the Island, formerly known as wheeler Island, in Bay payload. of Bengal, off the coast of the Indian state of • It can be fired from road and rail mobile Odisha launchers. • It is equipped with sophisticated navigation • The test was second Known trial of agni-I since its system which ensures it reaches the target with a first such successful test in April 2014. high degree of accuracy and precision. Agni-I Missile: • The missile already has been inducted into armed • Short range nuclear capable surface-to-surface forces. since its induction it has proved its ballistic missile. excellent performance in terms of range, • It is first missile of the agni series launched in accuracy and lethality. 1983. • It is also claimed to be a part of India's minimum • It was developed by premier missile development credible deterrence under No first to use policy. laboratory of DRDO in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. 3 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. The Integrated Guided Missile Development development of the comprehensive range of Programme, now known better by its missiles. The programme was managed by the abbreviation IGMDP, is perhaps the first Defence Research and Development Organisation programme in India which brought together a (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in large number of R&D laboratories, government partnership with other Indian government departments, industries and academic political organisations. The project started in institutions in the country within an integrated 1982–83 with popular political support from the structure involving all the groups in a functional successive governments and bestowed under the network. The Programme was visionary and leadership of Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ambitious, aiming at the same time, deliveries to ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were the Services as the end goal in a reasonable time successfully developed. frame. On 8 January 2008, the DRDO formally The Integrated Guided Missile Development announced the successful completion of the Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of IGMDP. It added that the strategic integrated Defence programme for the research and guided missile programme was completed with 4 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. its design objectives achieved since most of the The Agni missile was initially conceived in the missiles in the programme had been developed IGMDP as a technology demonstrator project in and inducted by the Indian armed forces. the form of a re-entry vehicle, and was later By the start of the 1980s, the DRDL had upgraded to a ballistic missile with different developed competence and expertise in the fields ranges. As part of this program, the Interim Test of propulsion, navigation and manufacture of Range at Balasore in Orissa was also developed aerospace materials based on the Soviet rocketry for missile testing. technologies. Thus, India's political leadership, TIME-LINE which included Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 1. Prithvi I Defence Minister R. Venkataraman, V.S. Prithvi I was one of the first missiles developed Arunachalam (Political Advisor to the Defence under Government of India's IGMDP. Launched in Minister), decided that all these technologies February 1988, Prithvi I is a single-stage, liquid- should be consolidated. fuelled missile. A surface-to-surface missile, it has This led to the birth of the Integrated Guided a range of 150 km and a mounting capability of Missile Development Programme with Dr. Abdul 1000 kg. It was inducted into the Indian Army in Kalam, who had previously been the project 1994. director for the SLV-3 programme at ISRO, was 2. Agni I inducted as the DRDL Director in 1983 to A nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni 1 is the conceive and lead it. While the scientists first of the five-missile Agni series launched in proposed the development of each missile 1983 by the Defence Research and Development consecutively, the Defence Minister R. Organisation. It has a range of 700 km. Venkataraman asked them to reconsider and 3. Akash develop all the missiles simultaneously. Thus, Akash is a surface-to-air missile with an intercept four projects, to be pursued concurrently, were range of 30 km. It has multi-target engagement born under the IGMDP: capability and is in operational service with the Short range surface-to-surface missile (code- Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. named Prithvi) 4. Nag Short range low-level surface-to-air missile (code- Nag is a third-generation hit-to-kill anti-tank named Trishul) missile that was first tested in 1990. The two- Medium range surface-to-air missile (code- stage solid propellant weapon uses the lock-on named Akash) and before launch system where the target is Third-generation anti-tank missile (code-named identified and designated before the weapon is Nag). launched. 5. Trishul 5 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. Trishul is a short-range surface-to-air missile The successful test of the Sagarika marks an equipped with electronic measures against all inflection point in India’s military history. It forms known aircraft jammers. It has a range of 9 km the crucial third leg of India’s nuclear deterrent and is used as anti-sea skimmer from ships vis-à-vis its submarine-launched ballistic missile against low-flying attacks. (SLBM) capability. The K-15 Sagarika, which has a 6. Agni II range of 750 km, was successfully tested in An intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Agni-II February 2008, and was subsequently integrated was first test fired on April 11, 1999. The surface- with India’s nuclear-powered Arihant class to-surface missile has a range of 2000 to 2500 km submarine. and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. 11. Dhanush 7. Prithvi III Dhanush is a liquid propelled sea-based missile Prithvi III is the naval-version missile with a range that was envisaged as a short-range version of of 350 km. A two-stage surface-to-surface missile, the Prithvi II ballistic missile. It has a range of 350 Prithvi III was first tested in 2000. km and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It 8. Brahmos was successfully test-fired from a naval warship in BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that is first March 2011, and carries forward the legacy of the test-fired on June 12, 2001. It was developed as a K-15 Sagarika. joint venture between India and Russia and is the 12. Agni III world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile in Agni III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile operation. developed as the successor to the Agni II. It is an 9. Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) improvement over its previous iteration, and has India’s ballistic missile defence got a fillip with the a range of 3,500-5,000 km, making it capable of development of PAD, which has been given the engaging targets deep inside neighbouring moniker Pradyumna. The system was tested with countries. It was inducted in to the armed forces a maximum interception altitude of 80 km, and in June 2011, enhancing its strike capability. has been designed to neutralise missiles within a 13. Agni IV range of 300-2000 km up to a speed of Mach 5.0. Carrying forward the success of its predecessor, The technology employed in the PAD was the the Agni III was developed to strike targets within precursor to the indigenously developed a similar range but with a significantly shorter Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile flight time of 20 minutes. The Agni IV, which has a which was tested in 2007, as well as the Barak-2 two-phase propulsion system is designed to carry which was developed in collaboration with Israel. a 1,000 kg payload. 10. K-15 Sagarika 14. Shaurya 6 Newspaper Analysis Programe TM WORKSHEeT -5 (UPSC PTcumMAINS-2020) India Missile Dev. It was initially conceived as a surface-to-surface Agni is India’s first inter-continental ballistic ballistic missile (SSM) variant of the K-15 Sagarika, missile (ICBM), with high road mobility, fast- that can be stored in underground silos for reaction ability and a strike range of over 5,000 extended periods and launched using gas km. canisters as a trigger. The nuclear capability of the missile enhances India’s second strike Hurdle capability reduces the dependence on the K-15 After India test-fired the first Prithvi missile in ballistic missile which was built with significant 1988, and the Agni missile in 1989, the Missile Russian assistance.