LETHALFORCE
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the speed of the interceptors are roughly MACH 4
Hypersonic Missiles
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SHASH2K2
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It will be soooooo big and heavy that it will become a logistical nightmare. Thats why I said may be in future.
LETHALFORCE
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Brahmos that will go on the Sukhois will have much greater range. The range will only be limited by the distance the sukhoi flies.
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Spate of Hypersonic Vehicle Tests Fuels Global Strike Debate
The military's reusable space plane, the X-37B, and its classified payload lifted off in April only one day after the maiden flight of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 suborbital glider. It flew nine minutes before operators lost its signal and were forced to abort the mission.
These two vehicles, along with a hypersonic missile that made its first test flight one month later, the X-51 WaveRider, have all been mentioned as means to carry out the "prompt global strike" concept, which calls for the U.S military to deliver a conventional warhead anywhere on the planet in significantly shorter time spans than are currently possible.
Intelligence can be fleeting. The location of a high-value target such as a terrorist leader can be confirmed, but he may move before an air strike is arranged. Or he could be located in a nation that doesn't allow the Air Force to fly over its territory. U.S. Strategic Command has been looking into ways to deliver bombs on such targets for several years.
The X-37B's top-secret payload has nonproliferation experts wondering if it is meant to deliver weapons. Air Force leaders won't say how high up the experimental spacecraft is, how much it costs, or exactly how long it will loiter before returning to Earth. And it definitely won't reveal what it is carrying in its bay.
"I think the secrecy is the key problem — not necessarily the technology, itself — it does allow people's imaginations to run wild," said Theresa Hitchens, director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The concept of 24/7 global strike capabilities makes almost everyone nervous, including U.S. allies," Hitchens said.
"Such capabilities could be highly destabilizing in a crisis; and also raise the risk of mistaken strikes because of the pressure to respond rapidly to intelligence without taking the time to closely verify that intelligence," she told National Defense in an email.
Diplomats based in Europe have asked Hitchens her opinion about the space plane, formally known as the orbital test vehicle. "The X-37B has caused quite a stir in China, at least in the Chinese press and there have been some pointed inquiries here," she said.
"The problem is primarily the heavy secrecy surrounding the experiment, which always causes the international community to become suspicious when it involves U.S. military space activities," she added. She believes the X-37B is carrying National Reconnaissance Office payloads, which automatically makes the mission classified. NRO operates the nation's spy satellites.
The aircraft resembles the space shuttle, and like NASA's soon to retire spacecraft, is designed to land on a runway after its mission is completed. Unlike the shuttle, it is not manned, so it can remain in orbit for long periods. This mission is expected to last around nine months, although Gary Payton, Air Force deputy undersecretary for space programs, told reporters before the launch that the mission could last longer.
It is about 29 feet long, about four times smaller than the shuttle. Like its reusable predecessor, it has a cargo bay, it can maneuver in space, and glides to its landing spot. The Air Force can refurbish the spacecraft and possibly launch it again. It also has ordered a second space plane from the contractor Boeing.
Payton denied that the X-37B would be used to deliver weapons.
Hitchens said the Soviets once claimed that the space shuttle would be used to weaponize space. It was not, but it could have been, she added. In its current size, it's unlikely that the X-37B would carry weapons. However, it could be scaled up to do so, she added.
"It's not really big enough. Nor does the concept of operations make much sense — pretty much anything you could do with the thing you could do more easily and cheaply with other platforms," she said.
Other analysts agreed.
Brian Weeden, in a report released by the Secure World Foundation, rated the possible uses for the space plane. The feasibility for it being employed as a sensor test bed was "high," he said. As for it being used as a conventional strike weapon, with either kinetic weapons being deployed from its bay, or it re-entering the atmosphere and becoming a bomb, itself, he rated the possibility of that as "zero."
The small bay, which is about the size of a pick-up truck bed, would not hold such bombs, he said. And since it is a glider, it could not fly toward a target at a tremendous speed.
The "X-37B after re-entry would be a slow moving, not very maneuverable glide bomb, easy prey for any air defense system along its path to the target," Weeden wrote.
David Wright and Laura Grego, writing for the Union of Concerned Scientists, found little utility for the space plane at all, especially when comparing it to other less expensive means of launching and recovering space assets when needed.
"It is difficult to find a mission for which the space plane makes sense, the authors wrote in their "All Things Nuclear" blog. The only unique capability it offers is landing on a runway, they asserted. The heat shielding, wings, and other features needed for re-entry adds extra mass, which makes launching the vehicle prohibitively expensive. They acknowledged that there might be some benefit in capturing failed satellites, or returning experimental payloads to Earth where they can be examined. Yet, the extraordinarily high cost of launching objects into space, which they estimate at $20,000 per pound, calls into question the cost versus benefit reasoning behind this. Loaded, the X-37B weighs up to six metric tons. The program's budget is also classified.
For that reason, the space plane "is a poor choice for placing weapons into orbit, including hypersonic strike vehicles intended for a conventional global strike mission," they wrote.
More overt in its intended purpose is the HTV-2, a DARPA program that is experimenting with an expendable vehicle designed to hit speeds of Mach 20 and above, then slam into a target.
The first experimental flight, where the vehicle was launched from a Minotaur IV Lite rocket, was intended to leave the atmosphere at "several hundred thousand feet," perform a series of maneuvers for 20 minutes, then perform a controlled crash into the Pacific. However, the first test ended after only nine minutes, according to DARPA fact sheets.
Lt. Gen. John Sheridan, Air Force program executive officer for space, said the second scheduled test will have a warhead mounted on it to test its utility as conventional strike platform. The glider will be directed to hit a specific target, he told reporters at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., shortly before the first test.
"The question is what do you do with that information. Is that the kind of information you want to take forward with a program? Do you need to do more? Do you need to look at different methodologies besides the HTV-2 as a delivery platform? I don't know the answers to that yet," Sheridan said.
DARPA spokesman Eric Mazzacone said he had no further information on the future of the program other than an April press release that said an investigation into the first test was ongoing.
One issue with prompt global strike concepts that propose using conventional warheads on ballistic missiles, whether launched from a silo in North Dakota or from a Trident submarine, is that friends or foes following their trajectory can't know whether they are carrying nuclear weapons. Their flight paths would be identical.
The HTV-2 provides a possible solution to that problem because it would have a completely different trajectory, said Mark Lewis, former chief scientist of the Air Force, and now a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland.
It would fly high enough to avoid over-flight issues and it couldn't be mistaken for an intercontinental ballistic missile, he said.
"I think it gives you a more politically tenable solution," he said at an Air Force Association talk on hypersonic technology.
Also promising was the X-51 flight in May, he said.
The WaveRider was launched from the wing of a B-52 and broke a longevity record by sustaining a Mach 5 speed for 200 seconds using a scramjet engine, and did so while climbing, he said. The test flight was supposed to last 300 seconds and reach Mach 6. Nevertheless, the length of the flight was a significant milestone in hypersonic flight, Lewis said.
Hypersonic speed is generally defined as beginning at Mach 5, which is the point where aerodynamic heating caused by the speed of the vehicle cutting through the atmosphere becomes a factor. The space shuttle and the space plane enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, and therefore require heat shielding.
"The X-51 removed any future doubt that a scramjet engine can power a vehicle at hypersonic speeds and accelerate it through the atmosphere," Lewis said.
Air-breathing scramjets take the heat created by the engine, and recirculate it into the combustion system. The X-51 reached a thermally balanced state, and could have continued as long as it had fuel to burn, Lewis said.
As far as prompt strike, hypersonic missiles such as the X-51 are a possible solution, Richard Hallion, former chief historian of the Air Force, said at the talk. Although they would have to be launched regionally and aren't global in reach, he added.
They can significantly shorten the so-called sensor-to-shooter loop, he said. For example, the 80 minutes it took cruise missiles to reach the Osama Bin Laden training camps in Afghanistan in 1998 could have been shortened to 12 minutes if a Mach 6 hypersonic missile had been employed, Hallion said in a paper, "Hypersonic Power Projection," which was published by the Mitchell Institute.
"The advantage of striking at hypersonic, as opposed to subsonic, velocities is self-evident," he wrote.
Source
The military's reusable space plane, the X-37B, and its classified payload lifted off in April only one day after the maiden flight of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 suborbital glider. It flew nine minutes before operators lost its signal and were forced to abort the mission.
These two vehicles, along with a hypersonic missile that made its first test flight one month later, the X-51 WaveRider, have all been mentioned as means to carry out the "prompt global strike" concept, which calls for the U.S military to deliver a conventional warhead anywhere on the planet in significantly shorter time spans than are currently possible.
Intelligence can be fleeting. The location of a high-value target such as a terrorist leader can be confirmed, but he may move before an air strike is arranged. Or he could be located in a nation that doesn't allow the Air Force to fly over its territory. U.S. Strategic Command has been looking into ways to deliver bombs on such targets for several years.
The X-37B's top-secret payload has nonproliferation experts wondering if it is meant to deliver weapons. Air Force leaders won't say how high up the experimental spacecraft is, how much it costs, or exactly how long it will loiter before returning to Earth. And it definitely won't reveal what it is carrying in its bay.
"I think the secrecy is the key problem — not necessarily the technology, itself — it does allow people's imaginations to run wild," said Theresa Hitchens, director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The concept of 24/7 global strike capabilities makes almost everyone nervous, including U.S. allies," Hitchens said.
"Such capabilities could be highly destabilizing in a crisis; and also raise the risk of mistaken strikes because of the pressure to respond rapidly to intelligence without taking the time to closely verify that intelligence," she told National Defense in an email.
Diplomats based in Europe have asked Hitchens her opinion about the space plane, formally known as the orbital test vehicle. "The X-37B has caused quite a stir in China, at least in the Chinese press and there have been some pointed inquiries here," she said.
"The problem is primarily the heavy secrecy surrounding the experiment, which always causes the international community to become suspicious when it involves U.S. military space activities," she added. She believes the X-37B is carrying National Reconnaissance Office payloads, which automatically makes the mission classified. NRO operates the nation's spy satellites.
The aircraft resembles the space shuttle, and like NASA's soon to retire spacecraft, is designed to land on a runway after its mission is completed. Unlike the shuttle, it is not manned, so it can remain in orbit for long periods. This mission is expected to last around nine months, although Gary Payton, Air Force deputy undersecretary for space programs, told reporters before the launch that the mission could last longer.
It is about 29 feet long, about four times smaller than the shuttle. Like its reusable predecessor, it has a cargo bay, it can maneuver in space, and glides to its landing spot. The Air Force can refurbish the spacecraft and possibly launch it again. It also has ordered a second space plane from the contractor Boeing.
Payton denied that the X-37B would be used to deliver weapons.
Hitchens said the Soviets once claimed that the space shuttle would be used to weaponize space. It was not, but it could have been, she added. In its current size, it's unlikely that the X-37B would carry weapons. However, it could be scaled up to do so, she added.
"It's not really big enough. Nor does the concept of operations make much sense — pretty much anything you could do with the thing you could do more easily and cheaply with other platforms," she said.
Other analysts agreed.
Brian Weeden, in a report released by the Secure World Foundation, rated the possible uses for the space plane. The feasibility for it being employed as a sensor test bed was "high," he said. As for it being used as a conventional strike weapon, with either kinetic weapons being deployed from its bay, or it re-entering the atmosphere and becoming a bomb, itself, he rated the possibility of that as "zero."
The small bay, which is about the size of a pick-up truck bed, would not hold such bombs, he said. And since it is a glider, it could not fly toward a target at a tremendous speed.
The "X-37B after re-entry would be a slow moving, not very maneuverable glide bomb, easy prey for any air defense system along its path to the target," Weeden wrote.
David Wright and Laura Grego, writing for the Union of Concerned Scientists, found little utility for the space plane at all, especially when comparing it to other less expensive means of launching and recovering space assets when needed.
"It is difficult to find a mission for which the space plane makes sense, the authors wrote in their "All Things Nuclear" blog. The only unique capability it offers is landing on a runway, they asserted. The heat shielding, wings, and other features needed for re-entry adds extra mass, which makes launching the vehicle prohibitively expensive. They acknowledged that there might be some benefit in capturing failed satellites, or returning experimental payloads to Earth where they can be examined. Yet, the extraordinarily high cost of launching objects into space, which they estimate at $20,000 per pound, calls into question the cost versus benefit reasoning behind this. Loaded, the X-37B weighs up to six metric tons. The program's budget is also classified.
For that reason, the space plane "is a poor choice for placing weapons into orbit, including hypersonic strike vehicles intended for a conventional global strike mission," they wrote.
More overt in its intended purpose is the HTV-2, a DARPA program that is experimenting with an expendable vehicle designed to hit speeds of Mach 20 and above, then slam into a target.
The first experimental flight, where the vehicle was launched from a Minotaur IV Lite rocket, was intended to leave the atmosphere at "several hundred thousand feet," perform a series of maneuvers for 20 minutes, then perform a controlled crash into the Pacific. However, the first test ended after only nine minutes, according to DARPA fact sheets.
Lt. Gen. John Sheridan, Air Force program executive officer for space, said the second scheduled test will have a warhead mounted on it to test its utility as conventional strike platform. The glider will be directed to hit a specific target, he told reporters at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., shortly before the first test.
"The question is what do you do with that information. Is that the kind of information you want to take forward with a program? Do you need to do more? Do you need to look at different methodologies besides the HTV-2 as a delivery platform? I don't know the answers to that yet," Sheridan said.
DARPA spokesman Eric Mazzacone said he had no further information on the future of the program other than an April press release that said an investigation into the first test was ongoing.
One issue with prompt global strike concepts that propose using conventional warheads on ballistic missiles, whether launched from a silo in North Dakota or from a Trident submarine, is that friends or foes following their trajectory can't know whether they are carrying nuclear weapons. Their flight paths would be identical.
The HTV-2 provides a possible solution to that problem because it would have a completely different trajectory, said Mark Lewis, former chief scientist of the Air Force, and now a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland.
It would fly high enough to avoid over-flight issues and it couldn't be mistaken for an intercontinental ballistic missile, he said.
"I think it gives you a more politically tenable solution," he said at an Air Force Association talk on hypersonic technology.
Also promising was the X-51 flight in May, he said.
The WaveRider was launched from the wing of a B-52 and broke a longevity record by sustaining a Mach 5 speed for 200 seconds using a scramjet engine, and did so while climbing, he said. The test flight was supposed to last 300 seconds and reach Mach 6. Nevertheless, the length of the flight was a significant milestone in hypersonic flight, Lewis said.
Hypersonic speed is generally defined as beginning at Mach 5, which is the point where aerodynamic heating caused by the speed of the vehicle cutting through the atmosphere becomes a factor. The space shuttle and the space plane enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, and therefore require heat shielding.
"The X-51 removed any future doubt that a scramjet engine can power a vehicle at hypersonic speeds and accelerate it through the atmosphere," Lewis said.
Air-breathing scramjets take the heat created by the engine, and recirculate it into the combustion system. The X-51 reached a thermally balanced state, and could have continued as long as it had fuel to burn, Lewis said.
As far as prompt strike, hypersonic missiles such as the X-51 are a possible solution, Richard Hallion, former chief historian of the Air Force, said at the talk. Although they would have to be launched regionally and aren't global in reach, he added.
They can significantly shorten the so-called sensor-to-shooter loop, he said. For example, the 80 minutes it took cruise missiles to reach the Osama Bin Laden training camps in Afghanistan in 1998 could have been shortened to 12 minutes if a Mach 6 hypersonic missile had been employed, Hallion said in a paper, "Hypersonic Power Projection," which was published by the Mitchell Institute.
"The advantage of striking at hypersonic, as opposed to subsonic, velocities is self-evident," he wrote.
Source
LETHALFORCE
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India, Russia to develop missiles having speed of 6,000 kmph - The Times of India
India, Russia to develop missiles having speed of 6,000 kmph
NEW DELHI: India will soon become the first country to have cruise missiles with hyper speed of over 6,000 km per hour, as an agreement for their joint development will be signed with Russia during the visit of President Dmitry Medvedev here in December.
The first unit of Kudankulam nuclear plant, built by Russia in Tamil Nadu, will also be commissioned during the visit slated to begin from December 21.
Medvedev will be undertaking the visit for annual India-Russia Summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during which the two sides will discuss ways to further enhance their relations in various fields.
One of the highlights of the visit would be signing of a contract for joint development of hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile, defence ministry sources said here.
This version of the missile will have a speed of over 6,000 kms per hour, making India the only country in the world to possess such missiles of this speed.
The speed of the existing variant of BrahMos is half than that of the proposed ones.
With a range of 290 kms, the hypersonic missiles are expected to be ready by 2015-16, the sources said.
The much-delayed first unit of Kudankulam nuclear power plant is also expected be made operational during the visit of Medvedev, who will be visiting the site for the purpose, they said.
The commissioning of the 1,000 MW Kudankulam-I, work on which began three years back, will set in motion the roadmap that the two countries are working on in the field of atomic energy cooperation.
Under the roadmap, a number of nuclear reactors would be set up by Russia in India.
Four of the reactors are envisaged to be established in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and one in Haripur in West Bengal, with scope for more in future.
The proposal to set up a Russian nuclear plant in Haripur is facing resistance from local people, but the government is hopeful of convincing them about its utility and allay their apprehensions.
The second unit of Kudankulam power plant will be made operational within six months of commissioning of the Unit-I.
During the visit of the Russian President, a number of other defence deals are also expected to be signed.
India, Russia to develop missiles having speed of 6,000 kmph
NEW DELHI: India will soon become the first country to have cruise missiles with hyper speed of over 6,000 km per hour, as an agreement for their joint development will be signed with Russia during the visit of President Dmitry Medvedev here in December.
The first unit of Kudankulam nuclear plant, built by Russia in Tamil Nadu, will also be commissioned during the visit slated to begin from December 21.
Medvedev will be undertaking the visit for annual India-Russia Summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during which the two sides will discuss ways to further enhance their relations in various fields.
One of the highlights of the visit would be signing of a contract for joint development of hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile, defence ministry sources said here.
This version of the missile will have a speed of over 6,000 kms per hour, making India the only country in the world to possess such missiles of this speed.
The speed of the existing variant of BrahMos is half than that of the proposed ones.
With a range of 290 kms, the hypersonic missiles are expected to be ready by 2015-16, the sources said.
The much-delayed first unit of Kudankulam nuclear power plant is also expected be made operational during the visit of Medvedev, who will be visiting the site for the purpose, they said.
The commissioning of the 1,000 MW Kudankulam-I, work on which began three years back, will set in motion the roadmap that the two countries are working on in the field of atomic energy cooperation.
Under the roadmap, a number of nuclear reactors would be set up by Russia in India.
Four of the reactors are envisaged to be established in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and one in Haripur in West Bengal, with scope for more in future.
The proposal to set up a Russian nuclear plant in Haripur is facing resistance from local people, but the government is hopeful of convincing them about its utility and allay their apprehensions.
The second unit of Kudankulam power plant will be made operational within six months of commissioning of the Unit-I.
During the visit of the Russian President, a number of other defence deals are also expected to be signed.
LETHALFORCE
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- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
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The Prithvi Missile Story | Frontier India - News, Analysis, Opinion
The Prithvi Missile Story
The first flight trial of Prithvi missile was in Feb 1988, designated as PE-01.
A chart was pinned, showing the marks awarded for the first flight trial. Missiles cleared and ready at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) earned 10 marks, Missile on launch pad at SHAR was 20 marks, countdown OK up to T-0 was given 30 marks, Missile lift off vertically was 50 marks, takes a predetermined turn to move out of the safety zone was 75 marks, follow the trajectory was 90 marks and reach the terminal area was 100 marks. Prithvi Team earned all those points. But the PE-01 marked the entry of India as a missile power when PE-01 impact point was right on the dot.
Project Prithvi
When Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) started, a new team was formed to design, develop and productionise the Prithvi weapon system at DRDL. Lt Gen VJ Sundaram was the project director. The General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) specification was A reliable, mobile, short range, surface to surface missile with contemporary performance and indigenous design.
The Prithvi Project team interacted with a dozen ordinance factories, ten public sector undertakings (PSU), six academic institutions, fifteen scientific laboratories, and 40 industrial houses. That amounted to nearly 400 engineers and managers.
Navigation
The Strap Down Inertial Guidance System was under development in the laboratory since early 1980's. The system was rigged up and a number of sorties were carried out using an aircraft. The size of the system was quite big and weighed more than the Prithvi could accommodate.
A flight worthy package was ready in January 1988. It was a midnight drama at DRDL integration hangar. Phase test were over by 1'O Clock in the morning. The missile was ready for its journey to Sriharikota.
Warhead Test Vehicle and Balloon Testing
The Prithvi missile itself was being in development phases hence the concept of warhead test vehicle (WHTV) cropped up. After a number of experiments in the lab and conducting static ground tests, a system was developed which was flight worthy.
The sub system's had to be tested as well. It should work at 50 meters or 1500 meters and so on. The Meteorological Dept stepped in with it s balloon.
Time 00130 hrs. Chilly winds and isolated stretch of grass field at Charlapally. "Charge and go" was heard. A balloon inflated in the midnight. The project team conducted the experiment to test the performance of switching mechanism. The balloon could be controlled to go up and down. The balloon dance went on till early hours to fine tune the mechanism.
Change of Guard
After the success of PE-01, medals were pinned. Lt Gen Sundaram was promoted and Dr. Saraswat who was the No 2 , became the new Project Director.
Army Marches in
An army unit for Prithvi was posted in Hyderabad. Col Kumar was the officer commanding. The premises of Bharat Dynamics Ltd (the production agency) was used for initial training, documentation readiness etc. Saraswat and his company was the nodal point.
Institute of Armament Training, Pune gave them a brush up Guided missile course. Golkonda venue was used for class room lectures. Kanchanbagh and Immarat Kancha was used for hands on training.
The result of successful of training was practically witnessed at Balassore when the Army team launched few Prithvi missiles from ITR as a part of user trials in June 1994.
Prithvi Weapon System
Prithvi missile is a Battle Field Support, Tactical, surface to surface missile which can accurately hit targets. Prithvi has field changeable warheads for different types of targets, such as defence installations, airfields, C3 installations, POL installations, bottleneck and bridges. The single stage Mk1 missile had a range of 40 kilometers to 150 kms. With a CEP of 150m.
Enter Air Force
Having delivered to the Army, the Prithvi team dug in to develop derivatives and innovative concepts. The Liquid engine of Prithvi could lot more. HAL delivered the extra long tanks for experiments in 1992.
Since 1988, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was toying with ideas with respect to Prithvi project. The "Project Devil" SAM project had instilled IAF's faith in DRDL.
Without much fanfare an experimental missile with improved range and electronics was tested in 1992-93. All missions were satisfactory.
IAF decided to make a firm commitment. Prithvi-II was born. The missile had new gadgets including GPS.
Once again medals were pinned.
Prithvi Four and Prithvi strap on
Having done the P-II, Four engined Prithvi was conceived. A four engine test was static test fired at LPD test bed. P4 still rumbles on. PSLV had strap on's why not Prithvi? However the idea is in cold storage now.
Navy Sails in
Indian Navy, examined Prithvi as a force multiplier. Prithvi, Naval Avatar "Dhanush" was a grand success.
Range redefined
The 2002-2003 war scenarios in Afghanistan and Iraq had churned the Prithvi designers to go beyond the Prithvi's set range. The composites were introduced and a number of changes introduced. In April 2003, a extended range Prithvi flew beyond the barrier milestone. This is one more variant of the Prithvi Missile.
Prithvi development goes on.
The Prithvi Missile Story
The first flight trial of Prithvi missile was in Feb 1988, designated as PE-01.
A chart was pinned, showing the marks awarded for the first flight trial. Missiles cleared and ready at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) earned 10 marks, Missile on launch pad at SHAR was 20 marks, countdown OK up to T-0 was given 30 marks, Missile lift off vertically was 50 marks, takes a predetermined turn to move out of the safety zone was 75 marks, follow the trajectory was 90 marks and reach the terminal area was 100 marks. Prithvi Team earned all those points. But the PE-01 marked the entry of India as a missile power when PE-01 impact point was right on the dot.
Project Prithvi
When Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) started, a new team was formed to design, develop and productionise the Prithvi weapon system at DRDL. Lt Gen VJ Sundaram was the project director. The General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) specification was A reliable, mobile, short range, surface to surface missile with contemporary performance and indigenous design.
The Prithvi Project team interacted with a dozen ordinance factories, ten public sector undertakings (PSU), six academic institutions, fifteen scientific laboratories, and 40 industrial houses. That amounted to nearly 400 engineers and managers.
Navigation
The Strap Down Inertial Guidance System was under development in the laboratory since early 1980's. The system was rigged up and a number of sorties were carried out using an aircraft. The size of the system was quite big and weighed more than the Prithvi could accommodate.
A flight worthy package was ready in January 1988. It was a midnight drama at DRDL integration hangar. Phase test were over by 1'O Clock in the morning. The missile was ready for its journey to Sriharikota.
Warhead Test Vehicle and Balloon Testing
The Prithvi missile itself was being in development phases hence the concept of warhead test vehicle (WHTV) cropped up. After a number of experiments in the lab and conducting static ground tests, a system was developed which was flight worthy.
The sub system's had to be tested as well. It should work at 50 meters or 1500 meters and so on. The Meteorological Dept stepped in with it s balloon.
Time 00130 hrs. Chilly winds and isolated stretch of grass field at Charlapally. "Charge and go" was heard. A balloon inflated in the midnight. The project team conducted the experiment to test the performance of switching mechanism. The balloon could be controlled to go up and down. The balloon dance went on till early hours to fine tune the mechanism.
Change of Guard
After the success of PE-01, medals were pinned. Lt Gen Sundaram was promoted and Dr. Saraswat who was the No 2 , became the new Project Director.
Army Marches in
An army unit for Prithvi was posted in Hyderabad. Col Kumar was the officer commanding. The premises of Bharat Dynamics Ltd (the production agency) was used for initial training, documentation readiness etc. Saraswat and his company was the nodal point.
Institute of Armament Training, Pune gave them a brush up Guided missile course. Golkonda venue was used for class room lectures. Kanchanbagh and Immarat Kancha was used for hands on training.
The result of successful of training was practically witnessed at Balassore when the Army team launched few Prithvi missiles from ITR as a part of user trials in June 1994.
Prithvi Weapon System
Prithvi missile is a Battle Field Support, Tactical, surface to surface missile which can accurately hit targets. Prithvi has field changeable warheads for different types of targets, such as defence installations, airfields, C3 installations, POL installations, bottleneck and bridges. The single stage Mk1 missile had a range of 40 kilometers to 150 kms. With a CEP of 150m.
Enter Air Force
Having delivered to the Army, the Prithvi team dug in to develop derivatives and innovative concepts. The Liquid engine of Prithvi could lot more. HAL delivered the extra long tanks for experiments in 1992.
Since 1988, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was toying with ideas with respect to Prithvi project. The "Project Devil" SAM project had instilled IAF's faith in DRDL.
Without much fanfare an experimental missile with improved range and electronics was tested in 1992-93. All missions were satisfactory.
IAF decided to make a firm commitment. Prithvi-II was born. The missile had new gadgets including GPS.
Once again medals were pinned.
Prithvi Four and Prithvi strap on
Having done the P-II, Four engined Prithvi was conceived. A four engine test was static test fired at LPD test bed. P4 still rumbles on. PSLV had strap on's why not Prithvi? However the idea is in cold storage now.
Navy Sails in
Indian Navy, examined Prithvi as a force multiplier. Prithvi, Naval Avatar "Dhanush" was a grand success.
Range redefined
The 2002-2003 war scenarios in Afghanistan and Iraq had churned the Prithvi designers to go beyond the Prithvi's set range. The composites were introduced and a number of changes introduced. In April 2003, a extended range Prithvi flew beyond the barrier milestone. This is one more variant of the Prithvi Missile.
Prithvi development goes on.
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Prithvi 3D measurement
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BRAHMOS BLOCK 2
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Brahmos-2 - a knol by Vijainder K Thakur
Hypersonic Cruise Missile
An agreement to develop a hypersonic follow up of the Brahmos missile jointly developed by India and Russia was reached during a visit by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to India in 2008..
Contents
* At a glance
* Development Progress
* Will be an air launched missile
At a glance
Range 290 km
Speed` Mach 5-6
Development status Will be operational by 2019
Remarks Will use the same ground, sea and air based infrastructure as the Brahmos missile.
The missile will be smaller in dimension than Brahmos.
Development Progress
Preliminary work has begun on the development of missile capable of flying at a speed between 5 and 7 Mach using a scram jet engine.
Speaking to the press at Tiruchy on Saturday, February 14, 2009, Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO & MD of Brahmos Aerospace said the missile will be ready within the next five years.
In September 2009, the two countries finalized the technical QRs for the missile and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Defense Ministry sources announced on October 9.
It was agreed to limit the range of the missile to 290 km in order to conform to stipulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) of which Russia is a signatory. The regime forbids export of any missile with a range in excess of 300 km.
It was also decided to keep the physical characteristics of the new missile identical to those of Brahmos to enable the use of the existing Brahmos ground, sea and air to launch infrastructure.
Navy, Army and Air Force launchers developed for the Brahmos missile will be compatible with the Brahmos-2.
The missiles will be "picked and put" in the old launchers for usage by armed forces in Russia and India.
Development of the Brahmos-2 missile comes under the purview of the India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) and the India-Russia Long Term Inter-Governmental Agreement on the programme for Military Technical Cooperation. The agreement, initially signed in December 1998 is valid upto 2010. It is likely to be further extended to cover the period 2111-2020.
Will be an air launched missile
Speaking to the press at DefExpo 2010 in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 16, BrahMos' Chief Executive Officer A Sivathanu Pillai said the Brahmos-2 will be exclusively an air launched missile and smaller than the Brahmos.
"The hypersonic missile, which will be smaller than BrahMos-I, will definitely provide an advantage to the Indian armed forces in future warfare,"
"It will take some time to mature. But our aim is for it to touch Mach 5 to 7 speeds, making it the fastest cruise missile in the world.
Hypersonic Cruise Missile
An agreement to develop a hypersonic follow up of the Brahmos missile jointly developed by India and Russia was reached during a visit by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to India in 2008..
Contents
* At a glance
* Development Progress
* Will be an air launched missile
At a glance
Range 290 km
Speed` Mach 5-6
Development status Will be operational by 2019
Remarks Will use the same ground, sea and air based infrastructure as the Brahmos missile.
The missile will be smaller in dimension than Brahmos.
Development Progress
Preliminary work has begun on the development of missile capable of flying at a speed between 5 and 7 Mach using a scram jet engine.
Speaking to the press at Tiruchy on Saturday, February 14, 2009, Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO & MD of Brahmos Aerospace said the missile will be ready within the next five years.
In September 2009, the two countries finalized the technical QRs for the missile and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Defense Ministry sources announced on October 9.
It was agreed to limit the range of the missile to 290 km in order to conform to stipulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) of which Russia is a signatory. The regime forbids export of any missile with a range in excess of 300 km.
It was also decided to keep the physical characteristics of the new missile identical to those of Brahmos to enable the use of the existing Brahmos ground, sea and air to launch infrastructure.
Navy, Army and Air Force launchers developed for the Brahmos missile will be compatible with the Brahmos-2.
The missiles will be "picked and put" in the old launchers for usage by armed forces in Russia and India.
Development of the Brahmos-2 missile comes under the purview of the India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) and the India-Russia Long Term Inter-Governmental Agreement on the programme for Military Technical Cooperation. The agreement, initially signed in December 1998 is valid upto 2010. It is likely to be further extended to cover the period 2111-2020.
Will be an air launched missile
Speaking to the press at DefExpo 2010 in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 16, BrahMos' Chief Executive Officer A Sivathanu Pillai said the Brahmos-2 will be exclusively an air launched missile and smaller than the Brahmos.
"The hypersonic missile, which will be smaller than BrahMos-I, will definitely provide an advantage to the Indian armed forces in future warfare,"
"It will take some time to mature. But our aim is for it to touch Mach 5 to 7 speeds, making it the fastest cruise missile in the world.
pmaitra
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Hypersonic Propulsion: Pulsejet, an area of renewed interest.
There is a renewed interest in a not-so-recent technology called Pulse-Jet.
Some details:
Attached are some useful videos:
There is a renewed interest in a not-so-recent technology called Pulse-Jet.
Some details:
- Inventor: Martin Wiberg (Sweden)
- First Patent of working model: V.V. Karavodin (Russia, 1906/1907)
- Current Researchers: Pratt & Whitney, General Electric et al.
Attached are some useful videos:
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CROSS POSTED
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http://www.india-defence.com/reports-495844
DRDO to Test High Altitude Missile Defense System in February 2011
2011-01-20 After carrying out major upgrades, India will test fire an advanced version of its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system in February allowing it to destroy enemy rockets at a much higher altitude. As part of its efforts to protect itself from enemy missiles, India is developing a two-tier BMD which can intercept enemy missiles at exo-atmospheric (outside the Earth's atmosphere) altitudes of 80 km and endo-atmospheric (inside the Earth's atmosphere) heights of 30 km.
Under the improved system, the DRDO-developed missile shield will intercept missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 150 km and endo-atmospheric height of 80 km, DRDO sources told reporters in New Delhi. The system is being upgraded after DRDO felt that a capability to intercept enemy projectiles at higher altitudes would give it more response time in case the first attempt is a miss and the second layer of the system can be put into action, they added.
Sources said with India facing a theatre-based threat and not a global one from an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), such a capability would also give it an advantage in terms of the area covered by the missile defence system. The system was first test-fired in November 2006 elevating India into the elite club of four countries to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel.
Last year, DRDO conducted the fourth in a row successful test of the endo-atmospheric interceptor missile at an altitude of 15 kms. Sources said if the tests prove successful, the DRDO will go ahead with the deployment of the BMD by 2015.
DRDO to Test High Altitude Missile Defense System in February 2011
2011-01-20 After carrying out major upgrades, India will test fire an advanced version of its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system in February allowing it to destroy enemy rockets at a much higher altitude. As part of its efforts to protect itself from enemy missiles, India is developing a two-tier BMD which can intercept enemy missiles at exo-atmospheric (outside the Earth's atmosphere) altitudes of 80 km and endo-atmospheric (inside the Earth's atmosphere) heights of 30 km.
Under the improved system, the DRDO-developed missile shield will intercept missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 150 km and endo-atmospheric height of 80 km, DRDO sources told reporters in New Delhi. The system is being upgraded after DRDO felt that a capability to intercept enemy projectiles at higher altitudes would give it more response time in case the first attempt is a miss and the second layer of the system can be put into action, they added.
Sources said with India facing a theatre-based threat and not a global one from an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), such a capability would also give it an advantage in terms of the area covered by the missile defence system. The system was first test-fired in November 2006 elevating India into the elite club of four countries to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel.
Last year, DRDO conducted the fourth in a row successful test of the endo-atmospheric interceptor missile at an altitude of 15 kms. Sources said if the tests prove successful, the DRDO will go ahead with the deployment of the BMD by 2015.
JayATL
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Indian Hypersonic Technology thread. ( credit Ganimi Kawa)
This entire post is credited to one of the smartest posters on defense related subjects. This is from another site and I thought to start it here because this is one the most exciting efforts form a missle technology perspective.
Imagine a mach 7 missile barreling down at a target! - if you thought Brahmos was the shzit....you would be excited over this piece . BTW_ Admins, there are times I wish we had a future projects forums- because this technology is applied to all 3 wings of the military.
-------------------
Ok guys, first of all sorry for the extreme delay in writing this post about HSTDV and it's progress so far (esp. the scramjet testing.)
I could not keep my promise courtesy my HoD, may he miss all world cup matches !
I've decided to start a different thread as we have more than 2 projects in hypersonics and it will be a good exercise to pool all the available data together.
Anyways, for those of you who do not know anything about the project, here is a brief intro of the project (quoting AWST article-11/05/2007, page 65 and a paper by K. P. J. Reddy,D o Aero Eng,IISc for most of the details.)
HSTDV
The project
*Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight (Mach 6.5).
*It is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 sec., using a solid rocket launch booster. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6.5 at an altitude of 32.5 km.
* Objectives of the program are--
1.proving the design and performance of the scramjet engine
2.Proving associated technology like---aerodynamic design, aero-thermal design, materials and hot structures at hypersonic flight Mach numbers.
* The HSTDV mission-
It involves launching the hypersonic air-breathing vehicle
called Cruise Vehicle (CV) to a Mach number of 6.5 at an
altitude of 30-35 km using a rocket launch vehicle. A single
scramjet engine burning kerosene fuel powers the cruise vehicle
for a sustained operation of 20 second duration.
The details of the HSTDV design and flight test are given in this figure.
Compare this with the photo of the actual model..
This entire post is credited to one of the smartest posters on defense related subjects. This is from another site and I thought to start it here because this is one the most exciting efforts form a missle technology perspective.
Imagine a mach 7 missile barreling down at a target! - if you thought Brahmos was the shzit....you would be excited over this piece . BTW_ Admins, there are times I wish we had a future projects forums- because this technology is applied to all 3 wings of the military.
-------------------
Ok guys, first of all sorry for the extreme delay in writing this post about HSTDV and it's progress so far (esp. the scramjet testing.)
I could not keep my promise courtesy my HoD, may he miss all world cup matches !
I've decided to start a different thread as we have more than 2 projects in hypersonics and it will be a good exercise to pool all the available data together.
Anyways, for those of you who do not know anything about the project, here is a brief intro of the project (quoting AWST article-11/05/2007, page 65 and a paper by K. P. J. Reddy,D o Aero Eng,IISc for most of the details.)
HSTDV
The project
*Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight (Mach 6.5).
*It is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 sec., using a solid rocket launch booster. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6.5 at an altitude of 32.5 km.
* Objectives of the program are--
1.proving the design and performance of the scramjet engine
2.Proving associated technology like---aerodynamic design, aero-thermal design, materials and hot structures at hypersonic flight Mach numbers.
* The HSTDV mission-
It involves launching the hypersonic air-breathing vehicle
called Cruise Vehicle (CV) to a Mach number of 6.5 at an
altitude of 30-35 km using a rocket launch vehicle. A single
scramjet engine burning kerosene fuel powers the cruise vehicle
for a sustained operation of 20 second duration.
The details of the HSTDV design and flight test are given in this figure.
Compare this with the photo of the actual model..
Last edited:
JayATL
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STRUCTURE
Please refer to this diagram (neglect the numbers!) and the earlier pics.
1.The 1-metric-ton, 5.6-meter (18-ft.)-long air vehicle under construction features a flattened octagonal cross section with mid-body stub-wings and raked tail fins and a 3.7-meter rectangular section air intake.
2.The scramjet engine is located under the mid-body, with the aftbody serving as part of the exhaust nozzle.
3.Two parallel fences in the forebody are meant to reduce spillage and increase thrust. Part span flaps are provided at the trailing edge of the wings for roll control.
4.A deflectable nozzle cowl at the combustor end can deflect up to 25 deg. to ensure satisfactory performance during power-off and power-on phases.
5.Materials---Surfaces of the airframe's bottom, wings and tail are made of titanium alloy, while aluminum alloy comprises the top surface. The inner surface of the double-wall engine is niobium alloy and the outer surface is nimonic alloy.
6.Propulsion---a.Two types of combustor—strut-based and ramp-cavity-based were under evaluation, and eventually strut based version was chosen (more on this later)
b.The nozzle features a cowl extension and fence to improve vehicle performance.
c.The solid booster (for achieving initial velocity), under construction, is a derivative of the S9 that powers India's Agni ballistic missile and PSLV launch vehicle.
Coming up, details of the successful scramjet round testing at DRDL
Please refer to this diagram (neglect the numbers!) and the earlier pics.
1.The 1-metric-ton, 5.6-meter (18-ft.)-long air vehicle under construction features a flattened octagonal cross section with mid-body stub-wings and raked tail fins and a 3.7-meter rectangular section air intake.
2.The scramjet engine is located under the mid-body, with the aftbody serving as part of the exhaust nozzle.
3.Two parallel fences in the forebody are meant to reduce spillage and increase thrust. Part span flaps are provided at the trailing edge of the wings for roll control.
4.A deflectable nozzle cowl at the combustor end can deflect up to 25 deg. to ensure satisfactory performance during power-off and power-on phases.
5.Materials---Surfaces of the airframe's bottom, wings and tail are made of titanium alloy, while aluminum alloy comprises the top surface. The inner surface of the double-wall engine is niobium alloy and the outer surface is nimonic alloy.
6.Propulsion---a.Two types of combustor—strut-based and ramp-cavity-based were under evaluation, and eventually strut based version was chosen (more on this later)
b.The nozzle features a cowl extension and fence to improve vehicle performance.
c.The solid booster (for achieving initial velocity), under construction, is a derivative of the S9 that powers India's Agni ballistic missile and PSLV launch vehicle.
Coming up, details of the successful scramjet round testing at DRDL
Last edited:
JayATL
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SUCCESSFUL SCRAMJET COMBUSTOR TEST --
(Ref-- Design, Development and Testing of Scramjet Combustor for HSTDV Mission of 20 s Duration by C. Chandrasekhar,DRDL, Hyderabad)
A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variant of a ramjet airbreathing combustion jet engine in which the combustion process takes place in supersonic airflow. As in ramjets, a scramjet relies on high vehicle speed to forcefully compress and decelerate the incoming air before combustion (hence ramjet), but whereas a ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion, airflow in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire engine.
*Steps taken in developing the Scramjet combustor for the HSTDV.
1. Successful Development of Vitiated Air heater Facility for Testing
Scramjet Combustor.
*To evaluate the performance of the scramjet combustor
experimentally, the ground based test facility is required
which can simulate the test gas at the desired flight conditions.
* A gas turbine combustor based vitiated air heater was
developed by utilising an existing GTX combustor
and commissioned.
*This has been a work horse for conducting a series of static tests of scramjet combustor.
2. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STRUT BASED SCRAMJET COMBUSTOR
Scramjet combustor design and realisation is one of
the complex tasks of hypersonic air-breathing vehicle. As
it is a contemporary area of work, information is classified
and not available in open literature.
a.The scramjet combustor was constructed using INCO-718 and Nimonic C-263 materials.
b. Also two sets of fuel injection struts; one set using INCO-718 alloy and the second set using Nimonic C-263 alloy with Yttria Stabilised Zirconia (YSZ) coating were constructed in coordination with DOE
and outside agencies.
Coming up, details of the test and overall achievements in developing the scramje
(Ref-- Design, Development and Testing of Scramjet Combustor for HSTDV Mission of 20 s Duration by C. Chandrasekhar,DRDL, Hyderabad)
A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variant of a ramjet airbreathing combustion jet engine in which the combustion process takes place in supersonic airflow. As in ramjets, a scramjet relies on high vehicle speed to forcefully compress and decelerate the incoming air before combustion (hence ramjet), but whereas a ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion, airflow in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire engine.
*Steps taken in developing the Scramjet combustor for the HSTDV.
1. Successful Development of Vitiated Air heater Facility for Testing
Scramjet Combustor.
*To evaluate the performance of the scramjet combustor
experimentally, the ground based test facility is required
which can simulate the test gas at the desired flight conditions.
* A gas turbine combustor based vitiated air heater was
developed by utilising an existing GTX combustor
and commissioned.
*This has been a work horse for conducting a series of static tests of scramjet combustor.
2. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STRUT BASED SCRAMJET COMBUSTOR
Scramjet combustor design and realisation is one of
the complex tasks of hypersonic air-breathing vehicle. As
it is a contemporary area of work, information is classified
and not available in open literature.
a.The scramjet combustor was constructed using INCO-718 and Nimonic C-263 materials.
b. Also two sets of fuel injection struts; one set using INCO-718 alloy and the second set using Nimonic C-263 alloy with Yttria Stabilised Zirconia (YSZ) coating were constructed in coordination with DOE
and outside agencies.
Coming up, details of the test and overall achievements in developing the scramje
Last edited:
LETHALFORCE
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cross posted
New missile interceptor test in end June
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be testing a new missile interceptor in Balasore by the end of this month, DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat told India Today. "We will have a test in end June or early July and are calling this new missile the PDV and it will have two solid stages," Dr Saraswat said. He revealed that the DRDO would begin ground-testing of AD-1 next year, a missile meant to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The DRDO-developed missile shield uses a system of long range radars and long-range missiles to shoot down incoming enemy missiles. The system has been tested successfully three times since December 2006. A fourth test in March this year was a failure. For the test planned in June, the DRDO now plans to replace the PAD-1 or the exo-atmospheric interceptor which has two stages, one liquid and one solid besides a 'kill vehicle' which destroys the enemy missile. It will be tested against an 'enemy' missile 100 km away.
The PDV is a modified version of stage 1 missile interceptors which can shoot down intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) of upto 2,000 km range like Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. "The PDV will be the mainstay of the defence shield," Dr Saraswat said.
DRDO officials say this system will be the backbone of the missile defence shield until Phase 2 missiles are fully deployed. Phase 1 of the system is to be completed and ready for induction by next year.
Dr Saraswat said that the AD-1 and AD-2, extended range missiles meant to shoot down ICBMs, were on the drawing board and would be fielded by around 2012 under Phase 2 of the missile shield. "Ground testing of the AD-1 will begin next year and the AD-1 missile will be test-fired in 2012," Saraswat said. These would be capable of shooting down missiles which have ranges greater than 5,000 km. Phase 2 is far more challenging because it calls for detecting ICBMs hurtling at twice the speeds of intermediate range missiles. It not only requires bigger interceptor missiles flying at hypersonic speeds of between six and seven times the speed of sound (present missile interceptor speeds are between Mach 4 and Mach 5) but also radars to detect incoming ICBMs at ranges of over 1,500 km as opposed to the current detection ranges of over 600 km.
Phase 2 will be part of the DRDO's attempts at incrementally increasing the BMD capabilities of the home-grown system. The system has been successfully test-fired three times since December 2006-the first test shot of the exo-atmospheric interceptor downed a missile 45 km away; the second test a year later proved the endo-atmospheric or Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor which shot down an incoming ballistic missile 15 km away. A third test in March 2009 shot down a ballistic missile 48 km away. The interceptor used a 'gimbaled directional warhead' or a warhead only one side of which explodes close to an incoming ballistic missile, shattering it.
The DRDO has put into place the building blocks for developing extended range radars of over 1,500 km. The Phase 2 missiles will be in the class of the THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missiles deployed by the United States as part of its missile shield beginning this year. THAAD missiles can intercept ballistic missiles over 200 km away and track radars with ranges of over 1,000 km.
New missile interceptor test in end June
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be testing a new missile interceptor in Balasore by the end of this month, DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat told India Today. "We will have a test in end June or early July and are calling this new missile the PDV and it will have two solid stages," Dr Saraswat said. He revealed that the DRDO would begin ground-testing of AD-1 next year, a missile meant to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The DRDO-developed missile shield uses a system of long range radars and long-range missiles to shoot down incoming enemy missiles. The system has been tested successfully three times since December 2006. A fourth test in March this year was a failure. For the test planned in June, the DRDO now plans to replace the PAD-1 or the exo-atmospheric interceptor which has two stages, one liquid and one solid besides a 'kill vehicle' which destroys the enemy missile. It will be tested against an 'enemy' missile 100 km away.
The PDV is a modified version of stage 1 missile interceptors which can shoot down intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) of upto 2,000 km range like Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. "The PDV will be the mainstay of the defence shield," Dr Saraswat said.
DRDO officials say this system will be the backbone of the missile defence shield until Phase 2 missiles are fully deployed. Phase 1 of the system is to be completed and ready for induction by next year.
Dr Saraswat said that the AD-1 and AD-2, extended range missiles meant to shoot down ICBMs, were on the drawing board and would be fielded by around 2012 under Phase 2 of the missile shield. "Ground testing of the AD-1 will begin next year and the AD-1 missile will be test-fired in 2012," Saraswat said. These would be capable of shooting down missiles which have ranges greater than 5,000 km. Phase 2 is far more challenging because it calls for detecting ICBMs hurtling at twice the speeds of intermediate range missiles. It not only requires bigger interceptor missiles flying at hypersonic speeds of between six and seven times the speed of sound (present missile interceptor speeds are between Mach 4 and Mach 5) but also radars to detect incoming ICBMs at ranges of over 1,500 km as opposed to the current detection ranges of over 600 km.
Phase 2 will be part of the DRDO's attempts at incrementally increasing the BMD capabilities of the home-grown system. The system has been successfully test-fired three times since December 2006-the first test shot of the exo-atmospheric interceptor downed a missile 45 km away; the second test a year later proved the endo-atmospheric or Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor which shot down an incoming ballistic missile 15 km away. A third test in March 2009 shot down a ballistic missile 48 km away. The interceptor used a 'gimbaled directional warhead' or a warhead only one side of which explodes close to an incoming ballistic missile, shattering it.
The DRDO has put into place the building blocks for developing extended range radars of over 1,500 km. The Phase 2 missiles will be in the class of the THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missiles deployed by the United States as part of its missile shield beginning this year. THAAD missiles can intercept ballistic missiles over 200 km away and track radars with ranges of over 1,000 km.
