A day after 64th Republic Day, India successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) of its most ambitious 'SLBM' series from an underwater platform off the Vishakhapatanam coast on Sunday making the weapon ready for its user trials.
Defence sources said the final developmental trial of the missile, code-named B-05, was conducted from a submerged pontoon (replica of a submarine) in full operational configuration at about 1.38 pm. The pontoon was positioned inside the sea, about 10-km from Andhra Pradesh coastline and the missile was fired from about 50 meters deep.
Though all the tests of the missile were conducted secretly earlier and the DRDO had never disclosed its name, for the first time the defence organisation through a release on Sunday confirmed that it had a successful test of B-05 missile.
Talking to 'The New Indian Express' Director General of DRDO V K Saraswat said the mission was fantastic and achieved a 'copy book' success. "The missile destroyed the target with a single digit accuracy. All the parameters of the missile were monitored by the radar all through the trajectory and terminal events have taken place exactly as expected," he said.
Developed by DRDO, the B-05 missile, formerly known as K-15 is about 10 metres in length and about one metre in diameter besides its launch weight about ten tonnes. This missile uses solid propellant. It can carry a conventional payload of about 500 kg and also be fitted with tactical nuclear warhead.
Launched underwater, it surges to the surface and is the world's best weapon in this class. The missile will equip the country's first nuclear-powered submarine ANS Arihant and if every thing goes as per the plan, the missile will soon be test fired from the indegenously built submarine. Meanwhile, the DRDO has begun the production of the missile.
"The missile traveled a distance of about 700 km in just six minutes and maintained a perfect trajectory. This missile has got both the versions SLBM and SLCM (submarine-launched cruise missile). While cruise missile is a loose trajectory missile guided to its destination by an onboard computer, ballistic has a high-trajectory and transcends the atmosphere to re enter from above the targeted site," said a defence scientist.
The DRDO was focusing on the success of the missile as very few countries have the triad of firing nuclear tipped missiles from air, land and undersea. Other countries, which have the capability, include Russia, USA, France, Britain (UK) and China.
This test, however has paved the way for the maiden trial of its long-range variant, which has a strike range of nearly 3000 km and under development since long. The source further said that the Navy had reportedly been insisting for the test of B-05's cruise variant as it is difficult to be obstructed and has pinpoint accuracy. It can also engage in a series of terminal manoeuvres designed to defeat enemy missile defences.
Among others, Director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) A K Chakrabarti and senior scientists of DRDO witnessed the mission. Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated all the scientists for the successful launch of B-05.
