BrahMos hits bulls eye from INS Teg

Statement issued by BrahMos

 

"The Indian Navy successfully flight tested BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in combat mode from guided missile frigate INS Teg off the Goa coast today on the 07th of October 2012, at  0700 hrs .

File photo of vertical launch of BrahMos from a warship

The missile performed high-level maneuvers at two given points in a scenario of evading detection by enemies’ radars and successfully hit the target ship at a distance of 290 kms . The decommissioned target ship was completely devastated by the huge kinetic energy of impact. By the time naval helicopter reached the target point the ship was completely on fire.

INS Teg is the first ship of the  three follow on of Talwar-class (Project 1135.6) frigates namely 'Teg', 'Tarkash' and 'Trikand' . All the three ships will be equipped with 8 vertical launched BrahMos missile system as the prime strike weapon. The frigates are being built by the Kaliningrad-based shipyard Yantar in Russia, for the Indian Navy.

Indian Navy commissioned INS Teg on April 27, 2012 after the successful Installation Test Firing of BRAHMOS in the Baltic Sea on 30th November 2011.  

The advanced warship has been fitted with an upgraded multi-role combat suite to make it one of the most potent platforms of the Indian Navy.

The new missile frigates are designed to accomplish a wide range of maritime missions, primarily hunting down and destroying large surface ships and submarines.

The vertical launch configuration of BrahMos enhances the stealth capabilities of the ship as the missiles are under deck and not exposed. The Universal Vertical Launcher (UVLM) being used in these ships is also a unique design, designed and patented by BrahMos Aerospace. The same also ensures maneuvering of the missile in any direction after launch, independent of ship movement providing the surprise attack concepts to the ships.

The warship has been built as part of a contract signed between India and Russia in July, 2006. Two other frigates of the class – INS Tarkash and INS Trikand – are at different stages of construction at Russia’s Yantar shipyard.

The Yantar Shipyard is also building three similar ships of 1135.6 class for the Russian Navy."

Strategic Forces Command test fires Prithvi P-II

 Surface to Surface, Ballistic Missile Prithvi-II, with a range of 350 Kms, was successfully flight tested at 9.10 A.M, from Launch Complex at ITR (Integrated Test Range), Chandipur in Balasore district of Odisha.  The DRDO developed Prithvi-II Missile is already inducted into the Armed Forces. The Strategic Force Command (SFC) has launched the Missile as part of exercise. All the mission objectives have been fully met. 

Agni-IV tested successfully

DRDO developed, 4000 kms range Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile AGNI-IV, was successfully flight tested from Wheeler’s Island in Odisha today. This long range missile propelled by composite rocket motor technology, was tested for its full capability. The Agni-IV, launched from the road mobile launcher, reached the pre-defined target in about 20 minutes.  The missile equipped with state of the art Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and with distributed architecture has the latest features to correct and guide for in flight disturbances. The most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensured the missile reach the target within two digit accuracy.  The re-entry heat shield withstood temperatures of more than 3000 degree centigrade and made sure the avionics function normally with inside temperature less than 50 degree centigrade.

All Electro-Optical Tracking systems (EOTS), Radars located all along the coast have tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight.  Two ships located near the target point tracked the missile and witnessed the final event.

Indigenous Nag Missile Carrier test scheduled in July

Work on Nag anti-tank missile had begun in 1987 and it came to fruition only in 2000. Then the Army and Defence Research and Development Organisation started working on giving it the night capabilities. The development of the missile was complete in 2007 along with Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA). Manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) NAMICA was found short on many counts. 

The system had failed to perform optimally during its desert trials in 2008-2010 forcing army to seek better system integration. The NAMICA has been reconfigured accordingly and the user trial is scheduled for July 2012. Only after a successful trial the Army will place a firm order of NAMICA. The other launcher system in contention is manufactured by Larsen and Toubro.

The Army has sought following improvements in NAMICA-

•  Reduction of all-up weight to 15 tons
• Improved reliability of missile launcher platform drive mechanisms
• Provision of higher resolution Target Acquisition Sight for gunner
• Enhanced user friendliness in acquisition of Target through reduced offset between sight and missile seeker acquired Target Scene Image
• Improved amphibious performance
• Provision of an additional system called “Target Surveillance and Acquisition Sight” for the Crew Commander of NAMICA

Work on submarine-fired ICBM in advanced stage:DRDO Chief

DRDO Chief Dr. VK Saraswat said that the work on the naval variant of the Long Range Strategic Missile (a moniker given by India to the Agni-V launched on April 20) was in "advanced" stage.

With indigenous nuclear-attack submarine, INS Arihant (meaning destroyer of enemies) ready to get operational in another two years time, the DRDO Chief assured that when the nuke submarine comes out it will come out with all weapons. "There will be no gap," said the DRDO Chief.

Revealing the story behind Agni-V, with a range of 5,000 km plus, the DRDO Chief said that the sanction for the missile came in 2008 with a mandate to built the missile in four years time. "We have achieved it in about 3.5 years. It is the fulfillment of a dream that the country saw in 1980's," said the DRDO Chief.

The top scientist also ruled out capping the missile ranges of the future home-built missiles. “I said our development (of missiles) is based on current and evolving threats. Threats are ever changing. There is no question of capping missile range. I do not know if threat profile will be static,” explained Dr Saraswat.

The next test of Agni-V is scheduled for later this year. Before that the DRDO will work to canisterise the missile to give it more flexibility. The April 20 test launch was done from a modified Agni-3 launcher. The canister system is necessary to make the missile road or rail mobile. A rail or road mobile missiles first takes off to a certain altitude and then gets ignited fully.

The strategic missile has also given a capability to launch mini-satellites in the space to aid the armed forces during the time of wars. These mini-satellites can be launched at a short notice and are designed to do a short-term role like providing navigation and all.

Taking about the naval variant of the Long Range Strategic Missile, Saraswat said that the “work was on an advanced stage”. So when the indigenous nuclear attack submarine INS Arihant gets operational there will be “no gap” in the vessel and the weapon.

The Chief refused to comment on the damning reaction from China, but added that India was not working towards matching a missile for missile with other nations. “We are not matching missile for missile. If I can manage all my offensive or defensive profile with the present set, why to have so many missiles,” Saraswat said to a pointed query about China’s missiles with ranges exceeding 10,000 kms.

Agni-V adds punch to India's might

As the nuclear capable inter-continental ballisticmissile (ICBM) Agni-V roared into the sky and hit its splash point beyond 5000 kms across the Indian Ocean, it marked a giant strategic leap for India as it became the sixth nation in the world capable of delivering nuclear warheads across continents.

For a country that has a stated "no first use" policy for nuclear weapons, the missile has added more muscle to its "dissuasive deterrence posture" by bringing the whole of Asia and most of the Europe within its striking envelope. Success of the surface-to-surface nuclear missile Agni-V has altered the global geo-political scenarios in the same manner as had the Pokhran nuclear explosion about 14 years ago. Asia now has two developing
neighbouring countries with the ICBM capabilities. 

The test book launch of Agni-V sparked euphoria amongst the ranks and files of the scientists with the premier military research body the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as the political brass hailed the success.

"Today's successful Agni-V test launch is another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said while congratulating the team of scientists led by Dr VK Saraswat, the DRDO Chief.

While applauding the "unsung" scientists whose efforts helped in realization of Agni-V dream, Defence Minister AK Antony said termed its maiden flight "a major milestone in country's missile programme". 

It will be in 2014-15 only that the DRDO will be able to hand over a fully operational missile to the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) that handles the nuclear weapons of the country. Even though the scientists diplomatically termed it as a Long-Range Ballistic Missile instead of an ICBM, with its range the missile is "adequate" to counter India's security threat, in an oblique reference to China. Though Chinese has Dong-Feng-31 A missiles with a range of 11,200 kms, Agni-V can hit any of the cities of China in matter of minutes.

"We do not have expeditionary ambitions. We do not have threats across continents. In view of this Agni-V gives India the deterrence it has been looking for," sources said.

The maiden flight of three-stage Agni-V reflects the confidence of the Indian scientists in developing complex missile systems and its spin-off is that India has the wherewithal to develop an anti-satellite missile if it wants. This capability has been demonstrated by China few years back.

India now has an array of missiles in its armour capable of delivering nuclear payloads for between the range of 700 kms- 5,000 plus kms. Agni-V with a canister launch missile system to ensure it has the requisite operational flexibility to be swiftly transported and fired from anywhere.

The success of Agni-V is the second big achievement for India this month. Earlier the Indian Navy had inducted the nuclear-powered attack submarine INS Chakra in its flotilla making it 6th country in the world to operate the sophisticated submarines.

Pictures of India's Agni-V

 DRDO's statement

INDIA LAUNCHES NEW GENERATION STRATEGIC MISSILE AGNI-V

New Delhi: Chaitra 30, 1934

April 19, 2012

Setting a new milestone in the country’s Integrated Missile Development Programme, India’s maiden Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM) AGNI-V (A-5) was successfully flight tested today. 

The flawless auto-launch of the missile started at 08:04 hours. Piercing the thin cloud cover, the missile took off from the launch pad at Wheeler’s Island in Odisha at 08:07 hours and started rising exactly the way it was designed for. The missile, with a range of more than 5000 kms, followed the entire trajectory in copybook style perfection as the three stages of Propulsion dropped and fell at appropriate intervals into the Bay of Bengal. The three propulsion stages, developed completely indigenously by DRDO, performed exactly the way they were intended to. The indigenously developed Composite Rocket Motors performed well, signifying the country’s stride and complete self-reliance in this complex propulsion technology.

Ships located in midrange and at the target point tracked the Vehicle and witnessed the final event.  Radars and electro-optical systems along the path monitored in real time all the parameters of the Missile.  

A number of new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in this A-5 Mission.  The redundant Navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) ensured the Missile reach the target point within few meters of accuracy. The high speed onboard computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the Missile flawlessly.

Air Marshal K.J. Mathews, Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command (C-in-C, SFC), who witnessed the launch, said that the success of Agni-V is a historic event for India.  Dr V.G. Sekaran, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Dr S.K. Chaudhari, Director, Research Centre IMARAT (RCI), Shri A.K. Chakrabarti, Director, Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Shri S.P. Dash, Director, Interim Test Range (ITR), Shri Guruprasad, Director, Research & Development Engineers (R&DE Engineers, Pune) were present during the launch operations.  R.K. Gupta, Project Director guided the team of Scientists and employees of DRDO during the launch activities.