Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs)

[sayareakd]

This line has been withdrawn from DRDO newsletter,

pintu can you post the amended version.

 

[Pintu]

Anup:

 

[The Messiah]

I still hope they are making 15000km ICBM but keeping it under wraps.

 

[communismforindia]

I still hope they are making 15000km ICBM but keeping it under wraps.

thats what usually americans do.. not a characteristic of an Indian defence program ..

 

[sayareakd]

I still hope they are making 15000km ICBM but keeping it under wraps.

when we have reached moon then 15000 km was never an issue.

 

[Virendra]

That proved one thing .. we're not good at keeping secrets

 

[sayareakd]

That proved one thing .. we're not good at keeping secrets

more like sending massage to those who matters that A6 (A3 SLBM) is coming with MIRV, but this is old news and most of us knows this specially from the drawing of Arun sir.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

OLD ARTICLE

Livefist: Agni SLBM A Myth?

AGNI SLBM A MYTH?
The unofficial impression above, from a recent magazine report, is one of a whole slew of graphics and illustrations that have swamped the internet and print publications in the last few years. This one, like many others, suggests that there will be submarine-launched versions of India's intermediate range ballistic missiles Agni III and V.

I sent the picture above to India Today senior editor Sandeep Unnithan, who broke the story recently about India's secret K-series of missiles, to see what he thought. Here's what he had to say: "There is a myth created by missile experts on internet forums about SLBM variants of the Agni III and V. They have gone ahead and created several impressions of what it will look like complete with MIRVs etc. The truth is that the K series, and NOT Agni, is the basis for the future SLBM development. This is not contested by the DRDO either. Difficulties with compacting the Agni to fit the 10 metre diameter ATV hull have led to solutions like the K-4."

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Business Line : Opinion : All fired-up on the missile front

All fired-up on the missile front

In May 1989, the Agni technology demonstrator was successfully launched with around 1,000 km range. In two decades, the technology demonstrator has transformed into a large programme, which has seen the successful development and launch of four versions of the missile — Agni I to the latest Agni-IV.

This ambitious journey — begun by India's missile man, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and led now by 'missile woman', Tessy Thomas (Agni-IV) now — is marked by indigenous technology effort. In the face of stiff technology denials, the country's missile scientists have made some significant contributions in technology, establishing new materials and spurring the domestic industry to play a greater role.

There have been a fair share of failures and delays in this multi-million dollar Agni programme, which is targeted to give India the capability to launch Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) and provide a strong deterrence. After 23 years, Agni-I (700 km), Agni-II (1500 km) have been inducted into the armed forces, while Agni-III (2500 km) is in an advanced stage and Agni-IV (3500 km), has been successfully test fired on November 15.

The Agni-IV is not just India's longest range missile, but is lighter, manoeuvrable, robust and capable of high acceleration. It has established a wide range of indigenous technologies, and given the perfect platform for launching Agni-V, in early 2012. The success of the ICBM would put India in the exclusive club of nations which can launch them — US, Russia, China and France.
INDIGENOUS ELEMENTS

Perhaps, the most important and visible indigenous contribution to the Agni missile are the composite materials that are used in its fabrication. Composites are lightweight, non-corrosive, tough materials. Composites are used in most of the Agni-IV missile — beginning with the critical nose tip of the missile (which is crucial as the missile re-enters the earth's atmosphere at around 3000 degrees C) to nearly 60 per cent of the 20 metre tall, 17 tonne heavy structure.

This makes the missile lighter, manoeuvrable, easy to operate and launch. Moreover, the higher the composites the lesser the cost of manufacturing the missile. All this means a cost-effective missile with a longer reach and destructive ability.

Composites are of use in making lightweight boots for the polio-affected, and in tennis racquets and in medical devices. The DRDO also established its own in-house composite production centre.

The composite rocket motor casing, which has been successfully tested in Agni-IV, was developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) a few years ago. It is made of carbon filament-wound composite. Interestingly, a private industry based in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, has fabricated it for the DRDO.

In the civil and defence sectors, maraging steels are commonly used to make motor casings. The Hyderabad-based, state-owned Midhani Steels produces the special steels to meet the needs of the strategic sector. It is tough but heavier. Since a lighter missile can be transported quickly and can carry higher payloads over longer distances, big players have been looking for composite materials. The ASL is working towards the goal of making a missile completely out of composites.

A major advantage of a composite casing it that it cuts down costs by nearly half compared with the maraging steel version. Since they are not prone to corrosion, the life of a stored missile is longer. EADS, the leading European consortia, the US and Russia are capable of making it now. For the coming generation of long-range missiles, composites would be the key material, says Mr. Avinash Chander, Chief Controller (Strategic Missile Systems).

TECHNOLOGY TIE-UPS

The synergy between the DRDO labs, Indian industry and the user (armed forces) has resulted in the successful march of the missile programme in the last decade. The missile system is homegrown.

The fabrication, airframes, propulsion systems, the fuel, flex nozzle system, the on-board communication and control systems, the software, the mobile launchers and the tracking systems, the integrated safety and security systems have been developed and tested.

The defence scientists also came up with a technology that helps increase the range of missiles as well as satellite launch vehicles by approximately 40 per cent. Giants like L&T to Tatas and Godrej, PSUs like BDL, HAL, BEL, Keltech, ECIL to a number of private industry like Data Patterns, Sameer, Vem Tech, SEC Industries, Astra Microwave, Resins Allied Products, Walchandnagar etc. have played a big role.

In the entire cycle of missile development to production, a couple of areas where domestic expertise is required are in select electronics, sensors and radar systems. There are collaborations with Israel and France in the area of radars. Similarly, some of the private industry players have forged joint ventures and tie-ups to make sophisticated electronic components.

But, with technology denials still not eased on India, it is vital to acquire the technology in these areas for the acceleration and reliability of the missile armoury. It can also help in cutting down the time of design to delivery, which is around 10 years, to a more desirable five or seven years.

The stage is now set for Agni-5. The platform is ready and efforts are geared up to be test-fired in February, 2012. All that is required is to scale up Agni-IV, say confident missile scientists.

With an expected distance of over 5,000 km to be traversed by the three-stage missile, on trial will be the quality and robustness of components and systems fabricated by the industry and critical technologies indigenously developed by the scientists.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Russia successfully test fires Bulava missiles

Russia successfully test fires Bulava missiles


Russia successfully test launched two Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles on Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said.

The missiles were launched from the Borey-class Yury Dolgoruky nuclear-powered submarine in the White Sea and hit designated targets at the Kura test range on Kamchatka, some 6,000 kilometers to the east.

This was the troubled Bulava's 18th test launch. Only 11 launches have been officially declared successful.

But some analysts suggest that in reality the number of failures is considerably larger. Russian military expert Pavel Felgengauer said that of the Bulava's first 12 test launches, only one was entirely successful.

Despite several previous failures, officially blamed on manufacturing faults, the Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative to the Bulava.

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The three-stage ballistic missile is designed for deployment on Borey-class nuclear submarines. Soyuz-2.1B

 

[LETHALFORCE]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

Why don't the INDIAN MISSILES get good arty work ? Some how our missiles look lousy and I think we must bring some designers to design the missiles outer shell in such a way that it looks good and at the same time fearful too..............

 

[sayareakd]

Why don't the INDIAN MISSILES get good arty work ? Some how our missiles look lousy and I think we must bring some designers to design the missiles outer shell in such a way that it looks good and at the same time fearful too..............

it is not designer contest, what matters is that ours is practical and it will have good looks when it strike in the heart of enemy.

 

[Patriot]

Why don't the INDIAN MISSILES get good arty work ? Some how our missiles look lousy and I think we must bring some designers to design the missiles outer shell in such a way that it looks good and at the same time fearful too..............

When it comes to missiles looks doesn't kill, as enemy should not be able to have a look [detect] at them when in action. What matters is the the warhead must hit with pin point accuracy on enemy's ba*ls & leave them defenseless.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

When it comes to missiles looks doesn't kill, as enemy should not be able to have a look [detect] at them when in action. What matters is the the warhead must hit with pin point accuracy on enemy's ba*ls & leave them defenseless.

with larger weapons like ICBM'S the CEP is not great it is made up by the widespread destruction they would cause.

 

[sayareakd]

with larger weapons like ICBM'S the CEP is not great it is made up by the widespread destruction they would cause.

LF our weapons have very high degree of accuracy, therefore we can afford to have small nukes and specially maneuvering MIRVs so that enemy's ABM is counter effectively, plus this will also save nuclear material and control destruction. Hope we never fire these nukes in anger.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

LF our weapons have very high degree of accuracy, therefore we can afford to have small nukes and specially maneuvering MIRVs so that enemy's ABM is counter effectively, plus this will also save nuclear material and control destruction. Hope we never fire these nukes in anger.

This is why I think we have not gone to Megaton nukes. When AGNI gets MIRV'd this will provide even greater control and devastation.The Russians always favored megatonnage because the CEP for their ICBM'S were terrible.

 

[trackwhack]

While I agree with everyone regarding CEP, accuracy and MIRV, there is a reason a citybuster is called a citybuster. No 200 KT nuke can bust a city like Shanghai or Bejing.

If CEP and MIRV was the way to go, then none of the P5 would still maintain an active arsenal of Megaton nukes.

China itself has an estimated megaton arsenal of the following

3.3 Megatons - approximately 60. Of which about 40 are armed on ICBM's and deployed in Silos and mobile launchers
5 Megatons - approximately 40 of which about 25 are armed on ICBM's and deployed in Silos and mobile launchers
More than hundred 300KT nukes armed and deployed.

No one has accurate estimates of the numbers armed on SSBM's and if any of these are deployed.

India is the only country going with the logic of 200KT being enough if CEP is good. Goddamit we have yet to test the Agni 5 and we feel secure in front of the Chinese who have the above arsenal. What is it that our defense heads understand about destructive power of nukes that the P5, who have had these weapons for far longer do not understand? And to top it all we havent even tested a 200KT nuke. Just claims.