India is finally gearing up for the maiden test firing of its
submarine launch of longest range and nuclear capable ballistic missile
code-named K-4 from an underwater platform off the Vizag coast by end of
next month. The missile flies in hypersonic speed and is the world’s
best weapon in this class.
The much-awaited test which was
scheduled for September was postponed due to technological developments.
The indigenously developed 3,500-km range missile has been planned to
be test
launched from a pontoon (replica of a submarine) positioned
nearly 50 feet under the sea surface.
The missile is the longer
version of K-15, dubbed as B-05 missile which has been test fired at
least 10 times. Though it has been designed to cover a distance of 3,500
kms, sources told The Express that this time the test would be
conducted for a range of about 1,500 km.
The K-4 missile was
developed very fast as many systems used in the missile were already
perfected during the development of B-05 missile. The new missile will
enable India to target China and Pakistan from its waters.
A
defence scientist associated with the missile said some of its
sub-systems had already been tested successfully earlier and the missile
with full configuration was ready for its first launch. “We are leaving
no stone unturned to make the mission successful. We want to achieve
close to zero circular error probability (CEP) accuracy,” he said.
The
K-4 is one of the most ambitious projects of the Defence Research
Development Organisation (DRDO) and it was kept under wrap for years.
Plans are also afoot to induct the B-05 missile, which has a strike
range of nearly 700 kms, in the armed forces next year. This missile
will also be test fired from the indigenously built India’s first
submarine INS Arihant after it completes sea trials in 2014.
Defence
sources said the K-4 missile is about 12 metre tall having a diameter
of 1.3 metre and weighs around 17 tonne. It is capable of carrying a
warhead of around 2 tonne and uses solid propellant.
Once
inducted, the missile will not only complete India’s third leg of the
nuclear deterrent, but also be the second strike weapon system in its
much touted nuclear doctrine. It can target major Chinese cities even
remaining away from the Chinese water. It could better be characterised
as a hypersonic cruise missile, since it remains within the earth’s
atmosphere. Making the K-4 even more survivable is its ability to
manoeuvre, following a twisting path to the target which makes it very
difficult to shoot it down.
The next missile in this series is K-5 which will have a strike range of nearly 5,000 km.
AGNI-III ON SCHEDULE
Range
integration was conducted in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the
Odisha coast for the proposed test firing of 3,500 km range nuclear
capable ballistic missile Agni-III. The weapon is scheduled to be test
fired from the Wheeler Island by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of
the Indian Army on December 18. It is the second user trial of the
indigenously built surface-to-surface missile. This test will follow one
each developmental trial of 4,000-km range Agni-IV and 5,000-km range
Agni-V missile next month
