Indian Ballistic Missile Defense System

[power_monger]

ABM system is a high technology sector and it will lead to lot of technology spin offs which we are generally denied off. The Seeker program got boost due to ABM and we are almost there in designing all kinds of seekers.
Saurav Jha had tweeted that we are developing two colour seeker which is very effective in differentiating between a ballistic missile and a decoy(false simulated target).These seekers made for ABM missiles will make it to lower end missiles tomorrow thereby increasing there efficiency.

Similarly full scale ABM system will require lot of super computers which can also be used in various other applications.Simply saying,we have lot to gain from ABM program.

 

[sgarg]

How do you jam a long range ABM radar? What does dummy missile achieve? Nothing It only triggers a massive retaliation from India. ABM is a must It pretty much destroys pakistans economy since they will spend everything on more missiles and prevents any chance of economic recovery for them. China is already shitting at thought of ABM in India and with SK and JAPAN.

"Massive retaliation" is not practical. Let us understand the basics. There are many ways to confuse a radar. An incoming missile can launch a number of decoys. If your system is unable to differentiate between a real missile and decoy, it will fire kill missiles at the decoys. You must understand that these missiles are very expensive and only a limited number will be available at any given time. So decoys can saturate your defensive system.

There are also electronic means to degrade the radar by jamming it. An incoming missile can also release jamming pods that may give a window of opportunity to another following missile to do its job.

Even assuming that neither decoys nor jammers are used, missile interception is still very difficult due to small size and very high speed of the target.

"China shitting" - we should never under-estimate our adversaries. We do not know for sure the measures taken by China. What we know so far is India's own reluctance to deploy missiles against China.

 

[sgarg]

ABM system is a high technology sector and it will lead to lot of technology spin offs which we are generally denied off. The Seeker program got boost due to ABM and we are almost there in designing all kinds of seekers.
Saurav Jha had tweeted that we are developing two colour seeker which is very effective in differentiating between a ballistic missile and a decoy(false simulated target).These seekers made for ABM missiles will make it to lower end missiles tomorrow thereby increasing there efficiency.

Similarly full scale ABM system will require lot of super computers which can also be used in various other applications.Simply saying,we have lot to gain from ABM program.

You are correct. This is why local technology development is the only solution as it leads to many spin-offs.

 

[LalTopi]

An incoming missile can launch a number of decoys.

Pakistan does not have MIRV, so cannot do this. It is also debatable whether China would wish to share this technology with Pakistan. An ABM shield would give India a massive strategic advantage against Pakistan as it would enable India to wipe out Pakistan without fear of mutual destruction. This would eliminate the current nuclear blackmail that Pakistan is using against India in launching its terrorist operations. An ABM shield would also be useful against China as it would mean that China must invest in expensive MIRV technology and multiple warheads in order to try to maintain nuclear superiority vis a vis India. India on the other hand does not need to have as many nuclear warheads for China, only enough to ensure deterrence through mutually assured destruction.

 

[power_monger]

Saurav Jha's Blog : Some notes on DRDO's PDV ballistic missile defence interceptor

Highlights of this article on the 2014 april ABM test.They are

a) DRDO unveiled PDV which has been designed to serve as an exo-atmospheric interceptor(outside) capable of intercepts at up to 150 km.
b) The PDV uses a new IIR seeker developed by DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI) drawn from Nag seeker.
c) first test of PDV did not test hit to kill,but next test will be used for kill test.
d) Sucessfull Completion of PDV will indicate completion of Phase1 of our ABM program with defending capability aginst Ballistic missiles upto 2000 Km.
e) The IIR seeker used in PDV is used to differntiate a missile and a decoy.No Test has been done to check this till date.
f) To test Ballistic missile defence effectivly India needs new Missile Test Ranges.These test ranges can be used to test our ABM capabilites of intercepting salvos of incoming missiles.i.e destroying multiple incomming missiles simultaneously.In 2012 a test was conducted where a endo atmospheric(insode atmosphere) target and electronically simulated exo atmospheric(outside atmosphere) targets were intercpeted.A new range in Machilipatnam is being built at an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore which may be operationalized in the next three years.
g) Our BMD program architecture includes
- over the horizon and X-band fire control radars which detect and track the incoming missile
- a mission control centre (MCC) that fuses input(which may come from satellite based sensors also) processes it and sends orders for engagement to launch control centres
(LCCs) situated 1000 km away via mobile communication terminals (MCTs).
- LCCs which orchestrate the final launch sequence with the mobile interceptor sitting nearby.

Last but most important point
- This test by DRDO clearly demonstrated the low earth orbit (LEO) capabilities of the PDV. The PDV is predecessor to another exo-atmospheric interceptor currently under development that can neutralize RVs at an altitude of over 300 km. This indicates that India has capabilities to place a counter space system or ANti satellite weapons.

 

[power_monger]

Why missile defence won't work

This is a nice article written in April 2002 article by MIT professor Theodore Postol who analyzes U.S. missile defense tests and reveals the basic flaws that went unreported -- and how a primitive adversary can defeat the system with the simplest of technologies.But now its almost 12 years after the articles,there has been much more improvement on the seeker technology though some of the challenges still exist.

 

[arnabmit]

India is now moving into a 3 tier defence system instead of previous 2 tier.

Active work on Electromagnetic Rail Gun is ongoing for terminal phase of interception.

So, for 2000km class threats:
Outer Layer: PDV
Middle Layer: AAD
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

Similarly, for 5000km class threats:
Outer Layer: AD2
Middle Layer: AD1
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

 

[power_monger]

India is now moving into a 3 tier defence system instead of previous 2 tier.

Active work on Electromagnetic Rail Gun is ongoing for terminal phase of interception.

So, for 2000km class threats:
Outer Layer: PDV
Middle Layer: AAD
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

Similarly, for 5000km class threats:
Outer Layer: AD2
Middle Layer: AD1
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

How far is our progress on rail gun? hardly do we hear on it.Has any country used this technology sucessfully in its air defense systems?

 

[ezsasa]

India is now moving into a 3 tier defence system instead of previous 2 tier.

Active work on Electromagnetic Rail Gun is ongoing for terminal phase of interception.

So, for 2000km class threats:
Outer Layer: PDV
Middle Layer: AAD
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

Similarly, for 5000km class threats:
Outer Layer: AD2
Middle Layer: AD1
Terminal Layer: Rail Gun

I am not too sure rail gun can be used for defensive purposes. the projectile cannot be guided at that speed and it goes in straight line.

 

[arnabmit]

How far is our progress on rail gun? hardly do we hear on it.Has any country used this technology sucessfully in its air defense systems?

All details are under wraps. Timeline is around 5yrs.

No country has successfully made operational a rail gun yet, let alone as AD system.

US is the forerunner in development.

 

[arnabmit]

I am not too sure rail gun can be used for defensive purposes. the projectile cannot be guided at that speed and it goes in straight line.

It can be done as General Atomics has already done it in Mach 7. FSDS rounds.

 

[ezsasa]

It can be done as General Atomics has already done it in Mach 7. FSDS rounds.

yup i got that bit, have you seen the projectile changing trajectory which is required in a defensive scenario?

 

[arnabmit]

yup i got that bit, have you seen the projectile changing trajectory which is required in a defensive scenario?

How would I "see"? General Atomics claim they have been able to provide terminal guidance to the projectile via radar links.

 

[LalTopi]

All details are under wraps. Timeline is around 5yrs.

No country has successfully made operational a rail gun yet, let alone as AD system.

US is the forerunner in development.

Any sources please for the India developments?

 

[arnabmit]

Any sources please for the India developments?

All under wraps, apart from a few leaks hear and there.

Here is one authoritative source:

[tweet]557928680005959680[/tweet]

[tweet]557782245415866368[/tweet]

 

[cobra commando]

Prithvi, AAD Interceptor Missiles Slated for Tests - The New Indian Express

 

[sayareakd]

More they test better it is.

Plus time to test it against A1.

 

[Victor3]

The railgun can shoot at a intercept course in some point

 

[Victor3]

That changes all. Only subsonic missiles can turn during flight wich can be easily shoot down whit supersonic missiles. Having a railgun is a advantage.

 

[power_monger]

Upgraded interceptor missile to be test-fired on April 6 - Y.Mallikarjun, The Hindu

A newly configured version of an interceptor missile, designed to improve its efficacy, will be test-fired against an electronic target missile from Wheeler Island on April 6.

As part of India's plans to deploy a two-tier Ballistic Missile Defence system to protect important cities and installations, missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have conducted nine interceptor missile tests.

Six of the tests were conducted in the endo-atmosphere (below 40 km altitude) and three in exo-atmosphere (above 80 km). Eight of the tests were successful.

In the upcoming test to be conducted in the endo-atmosphere, the reconfigured version of the interceptor missile (AAD) would be launched to validate its capability to carry a bigger warhead and minimise the mis-distance, among other parameters. Another crucial feature — that of powering the missile when the target missile is detected with a reduced reaction time would also be tested during the mission.

Since the entire exercise from detection till the terminal event is automated, the crucial capability to power the missile after detecting the target would prevent unnecessary powering of the missile, while keeping it alert mode.

While an actual AAD missile would be launched after the take-off of a target missile is simulated on April 6, scientists plan to carry out another exercise by April end in which both the interceptor and target missile would launched with warheads in a real, battle-like scenario, DRDO sources told The Hindu here [Hyderabad] on Sunday.