My fellow bhakts and nationalists, I have been vindicated regarding the Agni-5.
https://aninews.in/news/national/ge...strike-targets-beyond-7000-kms20221217161534/
The first stage booster's 250 maraging steel casing has been replaced with composites which has reduced the overall missile weight by beyond 20 percent.
I reckon newer lighter rocket motor with higher ISP propellants must have been used since replacing steel with composites won't reduce weight by that much.
Now the openly stated range is 7000+ km. So you guys know what must be the real or actual range .
Very interesting twist to our long range ballistic missile development program.
At the beginning I wish to clarify that this is not pushing an anti American agenda.
India does not pose any type of threat to the US. There are many common interests
which bind us including being democracies.
But unfortunately there are some madcaps in the US administration who include the extreme right wing ultra nationalists and the Christian Fundamentalists/Evangelists who look down upon countries like India. Their agenda of Global American Dominance supercedes everything else.
So it is entirely possible that an future US administration headed by an American version of Adolf Hitler(maybe overstating) could decide to send the 7th or 8th or 6th fleet(some Nth fleet) into the Indian Ocean to punish India for an supposedly anti American move.
In the light of the apprehensions expressed before, having an ability to respond to an possible US attack on India is not an bad strategy.
We already possess an fairly viable level nuclear weapons inventory. But testing and developing true intercontinental range ballistic missiles(range between 10,000km to 15,000km)has been an extremely sensitive issue for successive Indian Governments. The fear is that the US administration may view it as an hostile act and then may impose various types of sanctions which may affect our economic growth. While the reality is that the Pentagon and the United States military have an plethora of weapons to strike India. They will not be apologetic about it.
To put it bluntly, I am sure that sections of the Pentagon have already war gamed an future military assault on India.
Fair enough. Every nation has a right to defend its national interests and plan accordingly.
I am only reiterating that same right for India as an sovereign, independent nation.
We will only be safeguarding our national interests in a worst case scenario.
Now since the Indian Government may be reticent to openly develop an ICBM which can reach the US mainland, an alternative strategy to bring us closer to the objective is to create an 3 stage IRBM with all the stage casings being made of maraging steel and using less efficient solid propellent fuel. Assume that the stated range is between 5000 to 8000 km.
Now if the international geopolitical situation turns very adverse and we have an very unfriendly US administration and suddenly an need arises for India to safeguard itself against US belligerence then it would be easier for India to quicken the time period needed to create an ICBM.
By substituting composite materials for the maraging steel and loading higher thrust propellents in our IRBM (Agni 5?) an very substantial weight reduction can be attained and the new higher thrust fuel will allow the IRBM to mutate into an ICBM at relatively short notice.
Of course sufficient testing is required to validate the design, guidance technology and performance of the system(ICBM). But at least we can reduce the time taken.
If India really develops an ICBM, it should not be viewed as an anti American move. It will be an pro India move and meant only to safeguard India against external aggression and coercion by raising the costs for any potential aggressor. An purely defensive move.
Relations between the United States and India are probably the best ever now. The hope is that future US administrations will carry forward that high level of cooperation with India.
