India Tests Short Range SAM
November 27, 2004 :: News
On November 26, India test launched its short range “Akash” (Sky) surface to air missile. Despite the air defense missile’s limited range (25-30km), it is said to be capable of both conventional and nuclear warheads, with a reported payload of 60kg. The test took place from the coastal test range on the eastern province of Orissa.
A nuclear warhead could potentially give the missile the capability to destroy both aircraft and warheads from ballistic missiles. The missile is described as being able to strike several targets simultaneously, which could mean either separate, independently targetable warheads, or a sufficient blast to destroy a number of them. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
India Again Launches Dhanush Missile
November 8, 2004 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
India yesterday successfully tested a nuclear-capable ship-launched missile from its eastern coast. The Dhanush missile was launched from a ship in the Bay of Bengal. (More »»»)
» Press release, Govt. of India
» AFP on Dhanush launch
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» Missile details: Dhanush
India Launches Brahmos
November 3, 2004 :: News
India test-fired a supersonic cruise missile Wednesday, launching it from an Indian destroyer near the eastern coast of Orissa. The Brahmos cruise missile, which has been developed jointly by India and Russia, is said to have a range of 290 kilometers with a conventional warhead—weighing, according to various reports, 200 or 300kg—and was designed to be launched from ships, submarines or planes. Today’s test reportedly took place from a destroyer, the INS Rajput, from the Bay of Bengal. (More »»»)
» More stories on: Cruise Missiles, India, Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Cruise missile details: BrahMos PJ-10, BrahMos SSC-5
India Tests Underwater-Launched Missile
October 27, 2004 :: News
India today tested a naval variant of a nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 300km. The missile tested has been identified by news sources as a “Prithvi III,” and is said to be the longest range Prithvi tested thus far.
The missile’s characteristics, however, seem to indicate that it is more likely the missile known as the Dhanush, which itself had been derived from the Prithvi II. The missile launched today is said to have previously been launched from a ship, which is also true of the Dhanush.
The missile is also said to have the capability to be launched from a submarine. Today’s launch reportedly took place from a specially constructed underwater platform and canister, from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, in the eastern coast state of Orissa, some 230km from the city of Bhubaneswar. The missile landed in the Bay of Bengal.
Indian and Western news services variously report that the missile consists of a single stage, and the missile reportedly has a length of 8.5 meters (28 ft) and a diameter of 1 meter. While it is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead—described by some reports as “sub kiloton”—it may also carry incendiary or fragmentary munitions. Each of these dimensions and capabilities roughly correspond to those previously assigned to the Dhanush missile. The dimensions of the missile called the “Prithvi III” are not known. The missile may indeed never have been completed.
It would appear that India may have applied the signification Prithvi III to the missile previously termed Dhanush, or that the news reports are simply inaccurate.
That the missile tested is in fact the Dhanush is also suggested by an October 9 report by India’s The Statesman, that such a test was planned. (Link)
» Oct. 9: Dhanush trial expected soon
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Dhanush, Prithvi-2, Prithvi-3
Patriot Offered to India
October 18, 2004 :: News
The U.S. is giving India the opportunity to purchase the Patriot air and missile defense system. The offer came during a visit by Asst. Sec. of State Christina Rocca visit to discuss the U.S.-Indian “strategic partnership.”
News reports suggest that the sale may be part of an attempt to convince India to join the larger American missile defense effort. It is unclear what role India might have. While the Patriot is of modest value against medium and longer range missiles, India could perhaps be a useful basing location for missiles launched from either Iran, Pakistan, or China, depending on the missile’s target.
The report is not the first word of a possible Patriot sale to India. Congressman Crowley urged the same in May of this year.
Russia has also offered to sell India their comparable system, the S-300. (Article, Link)
» May 25, 2004: Crowley urges PAC-3 sale to India
» Feb. 5, 2004: Russia offers India S-300V
» More stories on: India
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
India and Israel to Cooperate on Long Range Missiles
August 31, 2004 :: Spacewar.com :: News
India and Israel could cooperate to jointly produce a long range ballistic missile, according to an India’s chief military scientist Dr. V.K. Atre. “Wherever they have strengths, we want to jointly develop the missiles so that both countries can benefit and share designs, costs and risks,” Atre said at a news conference in Hyderabad. Discussions for the joint project are said to have begun in 2003.
India has already begun to acquire two Phalcon systems, which are used for early warning and detection of ballistic missile launches, such as those by Pakistan and China.
Another news report two days ago also quoted Atre as saying that India may begin work on missile defense systems, in which Israel also has much experience. (Article, Link)
» Israeli Missile Systems
» Israeli Missile Defense Systems
» Mar. 18: India buys Phalcon, Considers Israeli Arrow, U.S. Patriot, Russian S-300
» More stories on: India, Israel
India Tests Agni II Missile; Report of Indian Missile Defense Work
August 29, 2004 :: Spacewar.com :: News
India today test launched its short range, nuclear capable Agni II ballistic missile. The missile was described in an Indian press release as having a range of 2,500 km, having a payload capacity of 1,000 kilograms, and the capability to be launched on either road or rail mobile launchers.
The Agni II was launched from a mobile launcher on Wheeler Island, near the eastern Orissa state. While the missile was described as having a range of 2,500 km, this particular test had the missile deliver its payload to a site only 1,200 km away. In fact, the Agni II has been estimated as having a range between 3,000 and 3,500 km.
The test marked the third test of the missile, developed by India’s Defense Research Development Organization. The two previous tests reportedly took place on April 11, 1999 and January 17, 2001. The missile was also described as having a length of twenty meters and a launch weight of 16 metric tons.
In addition, the PTI news agency in New Delhi reports that India has already begun to operationally deploy both its 700km-range Agni I missiles, and the 2500km range Agni II missiles. (In fact, around 5 Agni II missiles may already have been deployed since 2001; moreover, the Agni I designation most likely refers to what is also known as the “Agni Short Range,” or “Agni SR”; the original “Agni I” program was terminated.) The newly deployed missiles will join the short range Prithvi missiles already in service. India’s “top scientist Dr. V.K. Atre” is cited for the deployment announcement, saying that “We have completely developed systems for these two missiles and a certain number of them have been delivered to the army.” The first test of the much longer range Agni III missile is also expected later this year, according to Indian reports.
The same news item, however, also indicates that India is working on its own missile defenses:
Retiring after a tenure of over five years in the top post, Atre said that along with developing short, medium and longer range missiles, Indian scientists were also working on developing an anti-missile defence system as well as airborne early warning system.
India has previously expressed interest in purchasing U.S., Russian, and even Israeli missile defense systems, but this is perhaps the first report that India may have its own programs. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Agni, Agni-2
India Budget Proposal Increases Ballistic Missile Funding
July 13, 2004 :: Global Security Newswire :: News
A proposed defense budget for India includes increased funding for their ballistic missile programs, reports the Global Security Newswire, citing the New Delhi Pioneer newspaper. The funding levels for defense would, if accepted, increase by 27% overall, to 16.8 billion, with some of the increase going to the Agni ballistic missile program. (Article, Link)
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India Tests Agni Missile
July 4, 2004 :: News
India today successfully tested what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed its “Agni A-1” ballistic missile, in what is likely a response to Pakistan’s Hatf missile tests last month, and the promise of other “important” tests in coming months.
The “Agni A-1” missile, described as having a 700-900 km range, is however probably the same missile as what is also termed the Agni-SR. (The SR stands for Short Range, as it has a lesser range but enhanced maneuverability and reentry technology, than the Agni-1 MRBM from which it was derived.) The Agni-SR is capable of being armed with a 20 kiloton nuclear warhead, and is highly accurate.
The only discrepancy between the comments by Indian “defense sources” about today’s missile test and what was previously known of the Agni-SR, is that the missile launched today is described as having a length of 12 meters, whereas the Agni-SR was previously reported as having a length of 14.8 meters. The same sources, cited by the PTI news agency in New Delhi, added that the missile is powered by a single-stage solid- fuel rocket, and that the missile travels at up to 2.5 km per second. They also confirmed that the so-called “Agni A-1”—like the Agni-SR—had had increased maneuverability and reentry capabilities, as compared to the original Agni missile, from which the Agni SR, Agni 2, and Agni 3 were each derived.
Sunday’s test launch took place from a mobile launcher located at the Integrated Test Range on Wheeler’s Island, in the Bay of Bengal, off India’s Orissa coast. This was reportedly the third test of the missile, with previous tests on January 25, 2002, and January 9, 2003, from the same launch site. (Article, Link)
» Spacewar on Agni launch
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Agni
Possible Agni III Test in July
June 23, 2004 :: News
India’s Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced on June 19 that India would test launch its Agni III missile “as and when required.” The nuclear-capable Agni III has never yet been fired, but tests have been put off since last November. The missile is believed to have a range of about 3,000km. Several days later, defense sources revealed that the missile is scheduled for launch sometime in July. The test should take place in the second week of July, and be launched from the test range in Orissa, east India. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: India, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Agni-3
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