I am trying to guess the yield of each K-5 warhead and therefore, the maximum capacity of K-5. With the present technology, USA is able to generate 130kt yield per 100kg mass with its most advanced MIRV warhead W88. Our design is not as advanced as theirs or at that par, atleast yet. They have come to a point where they have successfully decreased the diameter of their warhead. Not only that, they have more punch per weight.
Diameter of W88 is 0.55m and that of Trident-II D-5 SLBM is 2m. This SLBM can carry upto 12 W88s but as per treaty, now only carries maximum 8. I have drawn a sketch below demonstrating how 12 warheads will fit in Mark-V Re-entry vehicle.
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As you can see, all 12 warheads can be fit that way. As they can carry mostly 8, minimum 4 of them will be dummy warheads. Each W88 weighs 360kg yeilding 475kt. 12x360kg=4320kg and 12x475kt=5700kt. TRIDENT-II can carry a max warhead of 4.3tn (Throw to weight) and its maximum yeild is 5.7Mt if 12 MIRV warheads are used. Using 8, yeild will be 3.8Mt.
Now as I have already said above, we have not come upto that advanced point when we can decrease our MIRV warhead diameter to 0.55m. My right guess is in between 0.8-0.9m. K-5 SLBM's diameter is supposed to be 2m. With 0.9m d, we can accommodate max 4 MIRV warheads. If warhead diameter is 0.8m, we can pack 4 as well as 1-2 more dummies. So you see, mathematically we can conclude the max no. of warheads K-5 can carry. We don't have to search for Dr. Saraswat words.
K-4 can take 2tn warhead so I think K-5 can take 2.5tn. But as a safe guess, we take 2tn. We can accommodate 4 warheads max. So each warhead will weigh 500kg. Now assuming if we can generate 50kt/100kg, each 500kg warhead will yeild 250 kt. Hence entire 2tn K-5 will produce 1Mt. If our warhead capacity is even low, say 30kt/100kg, then each 500kg warhead will yeild 150kt taking K-5 capacity to 600kt. Thus, max yeild of K-5 will be 600kt-1Mt with MIRV. You can calculate likewise if the Throw-weight of K-5 is 2.5tn.
I am not an expert in this field. I want to answer this as a Layman perspective. Members should say If I am right or partially right or entirely wrong in my analogy. Thank you for reading.
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