Missiles

MISSILES

A missile is an intelligent, autonomous rocket used in defence technology that is intended to convey a payload to a certain location and then destroy the target or object.

Components of a Missile

A Missile have five system components

Guidance system

Targeting system

Flight system

Engine

Warhead

Types of Missiles

Based on Speed

Missiles are classed based on their relative speed to sound, which is expressed in Mach.

Subsonic missile: Missiles that travel slower than sound are referred to as “subsonic.”

Examples include the US Harpoon anti-ship missile and India’s Prithvi short-range ballistic missile.

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Supersonic missile: “Supersonic” refers to missiles that move faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) but slower than Mach 5.

• Examples: Russian Iskander tactical ballistic missile and Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

• Hypersonic missile: The term “hypersonic” refers to speeds above Mach 5, or at least five times the speed of sound.

• Examples include China’s DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle and Russia’s Avangard.

Based on Trajectory

Ballistic Missiles: Following the boost phase, ballistic missiles operate on the principle of unpowered free-fall flight and have a ballistic lofted trajectory.

The ballistic missiles from India’s Agni and Prithvi series are two such examples.

• Hypersonic Glide Vehicle: Hypersonic ballistic missiles are ballistic missiles that reach hypersonic velocity during the re-entry phase.

• HGV examples include: Hypersonic glide vehicle mounted atop China’s DF-17 missile, Russia Boost-glide system Avangard.

• Cruise missiles: These are guided weapons that are fired against land or sea targets. Unlike ballistic missiles, they stay in the atmosphere for the most of their flight path and travel at a nearly constant speed until they reach their target.

• Examples are the Indian Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile and the U.S. BGM-109 Tomahawk long-range subsonic cruise missile.

• Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS): It is a weapon delivery system that delivers warheads to their intended target by using a low Earth orbit. It deorbits with a retrograde engine burn just before it reaches the target.

• FOBS can evade early warning systems by approaching from the south polar region without revealing their targets, in contrast to ICBMs that follow a likely course.

• For instance, in the 1960s, Russia created this technique. China has also tested this technology recently.

Based on Strategic Significance

Missiles that provide a country a credible deterrence or a strategic advantage over an adversary are classified as strategic missiles.

• These missiles are a component of the nuclear triad in India and several other strong nations.

• The long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a weapon designed to carry nuclear warheads across continents.

• It belongs to the Nuclear Triad of India.

• With a range of between 5000–8000 kilometers, Agni-V is India’s first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). It extends its reach to the whole Asia-Pacific area.

Propulsion Systems

The systems that generates thrust to move an object forward is called a propulsion system. Typically, airplane thrust is produced by utilizing Newton’s third law of action and reaction in some way. The engine accelerates a gas, or working fluid and the engine is subjected to a force as a result of this acceleration.

Type of Propulsion

Solid propulsion Features

• Solid fuel, primarily powdered aluminium is used.

• It is simple to store.

• Gets a high speed very fast.

Liquid Propulsion

• Use of liquid fuel, such as hydrocarbons.

• Storage is challenging and intricate.

• It is readily regulated.

Ramjet

• No turbines.

• Fuel is injected and ignited.

• Aerial vehicles cannot achieve supersonic speeds.

• It is a sort of air-breathing engine.

Scramjet

• A supersonic combustion ramjet.

• Combustion at supersonic speeds.

• Hydrogen fuel is used.

• It is an air-breathing engine.

• India is the fourth country, after the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, to showcase this technology.

• The combustion chamber is specifically constructed for supersonic airflow.

• DRDO has recently developed actively cooled long duration Scramjet Engine which achieved the speed of 6100 km/hr.

• This will boost the India’s Hypersonic Missile Programme.

This is considering complex technology in Defence sector

Cryogenic

• Need for insulated containers and vents;

• liquid gases, such as hydrogen, are liquefied at very low temperatures.

• An air intake is not necessary.

• After the United States, Russia, France, Japan, and China, India is the sixth nation to possess this technology.

Ballistic VS Cruise Missiles

Following are the key differences between Ballistic and

Cruise Missile system

Indian Missile System

India’s missile systems are used for a variety of defence- related purposes and serve multiple tasks throughout the country. Essentially, it uses its ballistic missile arsenal to deliver nuclear bombs to both China and Pakistan. It is worth noting that India is developing longer-range ballistic missiles and diversifying its delivery systems beyond mobile land-based missiles.

Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)

• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam envisioned achieving self- sufficiency in missile technology in response to the Missile Technology Control Regime.

• The IGMDP began in 1983 and concluded in March 2012.

• Developed five types of missiles

AGNI

• DRDO developed an intercontinental surface-to- surface ballistic missile with nuclear capabilities.

• The United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Israel are currently known to have intercontinental ballistic missiles.

• It is equipped with extremely high precision.

• Ring Laser Gyro-Based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) along with Micro Navigation System (MINS).

PRITHVI

• Surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile.

• The first missile was produced by IGMDP in 1983.

• Capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, they can run on liquid or solid fuel.

• The Prithvi I Army variant has a 150 km range.

• The Prithvi II Air Force version has a 350 km range.

• Prithvi III naval version has a 600 km range. TRISHUL

• The Indian Navy uses this short-range surface-to-air missile for immediate combat action with a range of 9km.

• At the moment it is not in service. NAG

• The anti-tank missile has a range of 4km.

• Third-generation ‘fire and forget’ guided missiles identify and designate targets before launch.

• It is capable of operating in all weather conditions, both day and night.

• Launched from both ground and air-based platforms. AKASH

• Four medium-range surface-to-air missiles equipped

with Rajendra radar.

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Capable of engaging multiple targets. Radar detects incoming objects, and missiles are fired.

• The range is 30 kilometers. Altitudes up to 18000 meters.

• Currently in use.

Other Missiles

ASTRA

The Astra is a BVRAAM air-to-air missile capable of operating in any weather conditions.

Range – 80km.

Payload capacity: 15 kg.

• First indigenously developed missile of India

Uses solid fuel ducted Ramjet and has BVRAAM (beyond visual range air-to-air missile) technology.

• Can destroy enemy aircrafts at supersonic speed.

PRAHAAR

• Solid-fuel, surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile

• Range – 150 km.

• Payload capacity – 200 to 500kg. PRALAY

• Solid fuel surface-to-surface tactical missile.

• Payload – 1 tonne and has a range of 350 km. NIRBHAY

• India’s first domestic long-range, all-weather subsonic cruise missile is NIRBHAY.

• It can carry a warhead of 200 kg to 300 kg at a speed of

• to 0.7 Mach with a launch weight of about 1500 kg.

• It can avoid detection as it has the ability to cruise at heights as low as 100 m.

• Solid rocket motor booster powers the second stage of this two-stage missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

• It can be launched from a variety of platforms.

• Range of 1000 km.

DHANUSH

• Sea-to-sea/surface short range ballistic missile.

• Range – 350 km.

• Capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

BRAHMOS MISSILE SYSTEM

• BRAHMOS is a collaborative venture between the Russian

NPOM and the Defence Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO).

• Named after the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).

• Air-to-surface missile with two stages (first stage with a solid propellant engine and second stage with a liquid ramjet). Range – around 300 km.

• Speed – Mach 2.8

• The BRAHMOS missile’s range has been increased to 450–600 km as a result of India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

• It is a multifunctional missile with pinpoint accuracy that can be launched from land, air, or sea and operates day or night, weather permitting.

• Operates on the “Fire and Forgets” principle.

• Currently one of the fastest cruise missiles in use.

• Lower target dispersion and quicker engagement.

• Low radar signature.

Long-Range Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM):

• India’s first long range hypersonic missile having speed of Mach 10 with the range of 1500 Km, designed and developed for destroying naval assets like aircraft carrier and enemy’s naval destroyer. It fulfills the Indian navy carrier killer requirements

PINAKA MISSILE SYSTEM

• Indigenous multi-barrel rocket launch system, for the Indian Army by DRDO

• The navigation system – aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

• Range is more than 70 km. RudraM-I

• It is the nation’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile.

• Up to 200 kilometers of range, depending on the launch circumstances.

• Can be fired at 0.6 to 2 mach and from 500 m to 15 km in height.

• Is able to identify and target any source of radiation, including enemy radars, communication sites, and other targets that generate radio frequency (RF).

RudraM-II

• Modified version of RudraM-I missile

• Air-to-Surface anti- radiation Missile

• Range up to 330 Km

• It is useful in Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability, the need of this type of missile was realized during Operation Sindoor

Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT)

MISSION SHAKTI

• To create extremely powerful anti-satellite (ASAT)

weaponry.

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The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the DRDO are working together on the initiative.

• The Anti-satellite (ASAT) technology targets moving spacecraft using a missile-based technology.

• ASAT propels India to the coveted space-superpower league.

• India will be able to attack directly or interfere with satellites, giving it the capacity to destroy them for military and strategic objectives alone.

• ASAT missiles can be air, sea or land based.

• Has the potential to contribute to nuclear missile deterrence.

• India conducted a successful ASAT missile test in March 2019.

• Integrating with the USA, China, and Russia into a small group of countries with comparable technology.

• India used the Kinetic Kill space technology.

• A live satellite in Low Earth orbit (283 kilometers) was destroyed by an ASAT missile.

• The missile can fire down objects traveling at a speed of 10 km/s at a height of up to 1200 km, according to the DRDO.