Basics of Missile Systems

A missile is a self-propelled, guided weapon system designed to deliver a payload, typically a warhead, to a specific target. They are essentially intelligent, unmanned rockets equipped with guidance systems that allow them to adjust their flight path in real-time. Missiles can carry conventional warheads, which use high explosives, or non-conventional warheads, including nuclear, chemical, or biological agents.

Missiles are classified based on various factors:

Missile Classifications

• Trajectory Path:
  • Ballistic Missiles: Follow a curved (parabolic) trajectory after initial propulsion by rocket engines, then free-fall towards the target. They are primarily used for long-range strikes and are harder to detect early due to high-altitude trajectories and faster speeds. Examples include the Agni series and Prithvi.
  • Cruise Missiles: Guided missiles that fly at low altitudes and maintain a relatively constant trajectory, propelled by jet engines. They are often smaller and difficult to detect. Examples include BrahMos and Nirbhay.
• Speed:
  • Subsonic: Speed less than Mach 1 (e.g., Nirbhay).
  • Supersonic: Speed between Mach 1 and Mach 5 (e.g., BrahMos, Shaurya, Astra).
  • Hypersonic: Speed greater than Mach 5 (e.g., BrahMos-II, Shaurya).
• Launch Mode:
  • Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM).
  • Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM).
  • Air-to-Air Missile (AAM).
  • Air-to-Surface Missile (ASM).
  • Sea-to-Sea, Sea-to-Surface, and Anti-Tank Missiles.
• Range:
  • Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) (<1000 km).
  • Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) (1000-3000 km).
  • Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) (3000-5500 km).
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) (>5500 km).

Missiles consist of a warhead, propulsion system, guidance and control system, and other aerodynamic systems like wings.

Missile Components

• Propulsion Systems: Provide the thrust.
  • Solid-Fuel Propulsion: Simple, compact, and provide high thrust for rapid acceleration (e.g., Prithvi, BrahMos first stage).
  • Liquid Propulsion: Allows for controlled thrust, used in long-range missiles and space launch vehicles (e.g., Agni series, Akash).
  • Hybrid Propulsion: Combines aspects of solid and liquid systems for controlled thrust (e.g., BrahMos Hypersonic Cruise Missile prototype).
  • Cryogenic Propulsion: Uses liquid oxygen and hydrogen at extremely low temperatures, offering high energy density for heavy-lift missions and long-range ballistic missiles (e.g., Agni-V, GSLV Mk III).
  • Air-Breathing Engines (Ramjet, Scramjet): Fuel-efficient, enabling supersonic and hypersonic flight within the atmosphere (e.g., BrahMos-II).
• Guidance and Control Systems: Ensure the missile stays on course and hits the target accurately. Examples include satellite-based guidance (GPS), radar-based guidance (Akash), infrared (IR) guidance (NAG), and laser guidance (LAHAT).

Indian Missile Programme

India's missile program, primarily managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), started in the 1960s with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in defense technology.

Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)

• Launched in 1983 under the leadership of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
• Objective: To make India self-sufficient in the design and production of a full range of missiles and meet defense requirements.
• It encompassed five major projects:

IGMDP Projects

1. Prithvi Series:
   • India's first indigenously developed ballistic missile.
   • Surface-to-surface, short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).
   • Capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.
   • Variants: Prithvi-I (Army, 150-250 km, phased out), Prithvi-II (Air Force, 250-350 km), Prithvi-III (Navy, 350-600 km, also known as Dhanush).
2. Agni Series:
   • Long-range ballistic missiles with nuclear capabilities.
   • Strategic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
   • Uses GPS-based high-tech guidance systems.
   • Variants:
     • Agni-I (700-1200 km, SRBM).
     • Agni-II (2000-2500 km, MRBM).
     • Agni-III (3200-3500 km, IRBM).
     • Agni-IV (3000-4000 km, IRBM).
     • Agni-V (5000-5500 km, ICBM) - India's first true ICBM, capable of MIRV technology, strengthening nuclear deterrence. India is among the elite countries with ICBMs.
     • Agni-P (1000-2000 km, MRBM) - lighter, more versatile, designed to replace older Agni-I and II.
     • Agni-VI (6000-10000 km, ICBM) - future induction with MIRV capability.
3. Trishul:
   • Short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM).
   • Designed to counter low-level attacks, especially sea-skimming missiles, helicopters, and aircraft.
   • Range: 9-12 km.
   • Officially terminated in 2008, but its learnings contributed to QRSAM and VL-SRSAM.
4. Akash:
   • Medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM).
   • Supersonic, reaching Mach 2.5, with a range of 27-30 km.
   • Capable of attacking multiple targets simultaneously using the Rajendra Radar System.
   • Used by the Indian Army and Air Force.
   • Variants include Akash-1S, Akash Prime, and Akash-NG (next-generation).
5. Nag:
   • Third-generation, all-weather anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
   • "Fire-and-forget" principle, with imaging infrared (IIR) guidance for day and night operations.
   • Range: 4-9 km.
   • Variants: Land-launched from NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) and Helina (Helicopter-launched Nag), also known as Dhruvastra.

The IGMDP program was officially closed in 2008 as most missiles had been developed and inducted into the Indian armed forces.

Other Important Missiles & Systems

Beyond IGMDP, India has developed and continues to advance a range of other missile systems:

Key Missile Systems

• BrahMos: A supersonic cruise missile developed jointly with Russia. It is the world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation. Range initially 290 km, extended to 450 km after India's MTCR entry, with efforts to reach 600 km and beyond.
• BrahMos-II: Hypersonic cruise missile under development jointly with Russia, expected to reach Mach 7-8.
• Nirbhay: India’s first indigenous subsonic cruise missile. Long-range (1000 km), capable of terrain-hugging flight to avoid detection.
• Shaurya: Long-range hypersonic cruise missile (Mach 7-8), with a range of 600-1900 km. It is considered the land version of the K-15 (Sagarika) missile.
• Surya: Speculated ICBM under development by DRDO, with a range of 8000-12000 km, potentially using cryogenic engines.
• K-Missile Series (SLBMs): Submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
  • K-15 (Sagarika): Short-range (750-1500 km), deployed on INS Arihant.
  • K-4: Medium-range (2000-3500 km), under development and successfully flight-tested.
  • K-5: Intermediate-range (5000 km), under development.
• Pinaka: Multi-barrel rocket launcher system, capable of launching 12 rockets in 44 seconds, with ranges of 40 km (Mark 1) and 60-75 km (Mark 2).
• Astra: India's first indigenous beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). Speed up to Mach 4.5, with ranges of 80-110 km (Mk-1) and over 140 km (Mk-2). Integrated with Su-30MKI, LCA Tejas, and MiG-29K.
• Rudram: Series of supersonic and hypersonic air-to-surface anti-radiation missiles developed by DRDO to target enemy radars, communication stations, and bunkers.
• ASAT (Anti-Satellite) / Mission Shakti: India successfully tested an anti-satellite missile in 2019, demonstrating the capability to neutralize satellites in low Earth orbit. India is the fourth country to possess this capability.
• Barak 8: Advanced surface-to-air missile system, jointly developed with Israel. Defends against various aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and missiles. Range initially 70 km, extended to 100 km (Barak-8) and 150 km (Barak-8ER).
• QRSAM (Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile): Designed to protect moving armored columns from aerial threats. Mobile, all-weather air defense system with a range of 25-30 km and 360-degree coverage.
• Varunastra: Ship/submarine launched, electrically propelled, heavy-weight torpedo developed by DRDO.
• MPATGM (Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile): Third-generation, fire-and-forget ATGM with top-attack and night-operation capabilities, effective range 200 meters to 2.5 kilometers.
• NASM-SR (Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range): India’s first indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile for the Indian Navy, range 55 km.
• LRAShM (Long Range – Anti-Ship Missile): Cutting-edge hypersonic missile developed by DRDO with a range of over 1,500 km.
• SMART (Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo): Canister-based, long-range supersonic anti-submarine missile, developed by DRDO for the Indian Navy.
• VSHORADS (Very Short Range Air Defence System): Fourth-generation, man-portable air-defense system developed by DRDO for low-altitude aerial threats, range up to 6 km.

Indian Missile Defence Systems

India has developed a multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system to protect against ballistic missile attacks, comprising two main tiers:

Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System

1. Exo-atmospheric Layer: Intercepts missiles at altitudes of 50-150 km, developed with the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) interceptor missile (also called Pradyumna).
2. Endo-atmospheric Layer: Intercepts missiles at altitudes below 40 km, developed with the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile (also called Ashwin). This system is complemented by Swordfish LRTR (Long Range Tracking Radar) for target acquisition and fire control. India became the fifth nation globally to have a robust Ballistic Missile Defence system.

Other Air Defense Systems

• S-400 Triumf: A highly advanced long-range surface-to-air missile system procured from Russia, capable of engaging aircraft, UAVs, and ballistic missiles up to 400 km.
• LR-SAM (Project Kusha): An Extended Range Air Defence System under development, aiming for a formidable 3-layered defense system with missile interceptors ranging from 150 km to 350 km.

Institutional Setup

Key Institutions in Missile Development

• DRDO: The primary organization for research, development, and innovation in missile technology, operating through its Missiles and Strategic Systems (MSS) Cluster and key laboratories like Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory (DYSL-AT), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL).
• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL): State-owned enterprise for missile production and mass assembly.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL): Involved in the development of missile delivery systems, particularly air-launched missiles.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): Supports missile technology through expertise in satellite navigation, launch vehicles, and space-based tracking systems.
• Private Sector: Increasingly involved in developing critical components and technologies, with companies like Tata Advanced Systems, Larsen & Toubro, and Adani Defence collaborating in missile systems.

International Context

India's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016 as the 35th member has enhanced its non-proliferation image and enabled the procurement of advanced missile technology and collaboration on UAV development projects with other nations. This membership entails obligations such as sharing critical military and technological information and consulting on MTCR-related exports.