K series Missiles Discussion Sheet & NEWS
K series missiles :
Named after India's missile man, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, the nuclear-capable K-series missiles are quite significant new-generation counter-strike strategic missiles. The top secret indigenous "K" missiles are faster, lighter and stealthier. They also make India only the sixth country to develop undersea strategic missiles.
SAGARIKA or K15 or B-O5 :
Sagarika,or K-15, or B-05isa submarine-launched quasi ballisticmissilecurrently under development for use on INS Arihant, India's first nuclear-powered submarine.
Features
Sagarika,or K-15, or B-05isa submarine-launched quasi ballisticmissilecurrently under development for use on INS Arihant, India's first nuclear-powered submarine.
The solid propellant,two stage K-15 missileisreportedly 6.5m long, 1m in diameter, weighs 7 tons and carries a 500 kg warhead to a range of approximately 700 km (435 miles).
The missilecan carry both nuclear and conventional warheads.
The land basedversion of the K-15 is called theShourya.
The missilewasdesigned and developed at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) provided the motors and propulsion systems.The Research Centre, Imarat (RCI) developed its avionics, including control and guidancesystemsand inertial navigation systems.
The land basedversion of the K-15 is called the Shourya.
Flight Trajectory
The K-15 is a two stage, solid fueled weapon with characteristicsof bothballistic and cruise missiles. Unlike conventional cruise missile, which cruise at extremely low altitudes and subsonic speeds using turbo fan engines, Sagarikacruisesatextremely high altitudes at hypersonic speeds using rocket power.
Quasi Ballistic Missile
The Sagarikacan beclassified as a quasi ballisticmissile.
A quasi ballisticmissiles doesn't follow a pure ballistic trajectory. It stays within the atmosphere and fliesto its targets at hypersonic speeds, performing maneuvers to confuse enemy defenses. Its time to target is considerably less than that of a ballistic missile,givingtheenemylesser reaction time.
The Sagarika is comparableto Russia's Iskander missile that can cruise at hypersonic speed of Mach 6 - 7 at a height of 50 km and maneuver to evade ballisticmissiledefenses. The Iskander-M weighs 4,615 kg and carries a warhead of 710 –800 kg to a range of 480 km, achieving a CEP of 5 – 7 m.
Sagarika Trajectory
The Sagarika'sfirststagetakes it to an altitude of 7km. The second stage lofts it further up to 40 kms. The missilethen flipsoverand fliesatconstant altitude at seven times the speed of sound likea cruise missile.
During the endgame, the missileguidesitselfto the target maneuvering with the help of fins to evade missile defenses and strike within 20-30m of its target 750 km away.
The missile'sflat trajectory, hypersonic speed and small cross-section make tracking and interception difficult.
Speaking to the press at DefExpo 2010, DRDO Chief VK Sarsawat described the K-15's land based version, Shourya, as being "Like a ballisticmissile,it is powered by solid fuel. And, like a cruise missile,itcan guide itself right up to the target."
Status
The missileisin serial production but has not been fitted to any platform.
Tests
India has tested the K-15 missilesover10times,DRDO Chief VK Saraswat told a press conference on March 31, 2012, during DefExpo 2012. [via Deccan Herald]
He also confirmed that DRDO successfully tested themissile twice in March 2012. The missileswerelaunched from a pontoon. The tests were not announced immediately following their tests, though there were press reports that the tests are impending.
CNN-IBN had reported that DRDO is prepping for two tests of the missile, the first on March 4, and the second between March 16 and 19.
Indian Express earlierreported that the missile is scheduled to be test-fired from a pontoon from a depth of 20 m off Vizag in the last week of February.
A defense official told the newspaper on February 13, 2012, "The snags have been fixed and we hope this time the missilewill besuccessfully test-fired in full deployment mode."
A test of the missile was initially scheduled for January 31, 2011. However, despite several attempts the missile could not be tested during 2011 due to technical problems.
Early Development and Testing
India successfully tested the 'Sagarika' missileundertheK-15 project on February 26, 2008, off the coast of Visakhapatnam from a pontoon simulating the conditions of a submarine.
The pontoon used for launch was connected with a cable to a nearby ship thathad the missile's fire control systems.The ship and the pontoon were both unmanned.
Following the test a DRDO official said, the test of the missilewasn't itsfirst.
"We have done it earlier a few times although it went by different names," the source said. [via Hindu]
It has been reported that the missilehasbeentested a total of six times. Two tests were partially successful and the remaining four fully successful.
At launch,a gas-charged booster pushes the missile to the surface, when the first stage of the missile ignites.