Interceptor achieves a direct hit of incoming target missile

Validating Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) capability, India successfully launched an interceptor missile to destroy an incoming target missile in a direct hit at an altitude of 15 km over the Bay of Bengal on Friday.

The target missile mimicked an incoming enemy missile with a range of more than 2,000 km.

A few minutes after the ‘hostile’ missile, a modified surface-to-surface Prithvi, took off at 10.10 a.m. from Launch Complex-3 at Chandipur, the interceptor missile, Advanced Air Defence (AAD), was fired from the Wheeler Island. As the target missile climbed to a height about 100 km and began descending at rapid speed, the interceptor travelling at supersonic speed homed on to the target and smashed it to smithereens around 10.15 a.m. at a 15-km altitude in the endo-atmosphere.

The crucial test was conducted as part of India’s plans to deploy a two-tiered BMD system to engage and kill incoming enemy missiles in the endo-atmosphere and exo-atmopshere.

This was the seventh interceptor mission and the fifth endo-atmospheric interception. Six of the tests to date have been successful, including the first three in a row.

Immediately after the modified Prithvi was launched, the Long Range Tracking Radars near Puri picked up the target missile as also the Multi Functional Radar at Paradip tracked the missile and passed on the information to guidance computer, which gave the command for launching of AAD after computing the target’s flight. Equipped with inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and a radio-frequency seeker the AAD locked on to the target missile and blasted it in the terminal phase.

Scientific advisor to Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat, Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Chief Controller for missiles and strategic systems, Avinash Chander and other top missile scientists were present.

Source:The Hindu

Interceptor missile test on February 10

India's missile scientists are gearing to conduct an interceptor missile test on February 10 as part of the plans to deploy a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system.

This will be the seventh interceptor mission. The exercise is meant to test the capability of the system to kill incoming ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000-3,000 km. Of the six exercises held to date — the first was in November 2006 — five have been successful.

The proposed operation would be closer to the deployable configuration of the system for endo-atmospheric interception, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials. During the upcoming mission, the interception of the target missile is planned at an altitude of 15 km in the endo-atmosphere. Four of the interceptor missile tests conducted so far have been in the endo-atmosphere, two in the exo-atmosphere.

Soon after the modified surface-to-surface target missile, Prithvi, is launched from Chandipur, an Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile will take off from Wheeler Island to intercept and destroy the incoming projectile, which, after reaching a height of 100 km, will start descending.

Upon Prithvi's launch, the Long-Range Tracking Radars near Puri will start tracking the target. A little later, the Multi Functional Radars located near seaport town Paradip will detect and track the missile and provide data for the guidance computer. This will compute the flight path of the target missile and launch the interceptor at the right time. The interceptor computes the optimal path for the missile to hit the target. In the terminal phase, the radiofrequency seeker will track the target and enable the interceptor to home in on to the target.

Source:The Hindu

Combat variant of Rustom-2 a possibility : DRDO

India is developing an umanned aerial vehicle (UAV) similar to American Predator drones with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and planning an unmanned combat vehicles, a key official involved in the project said today. 

UAV Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) laboratory, P S Krishnan, told PTI here. 

Rustom-2 would have a wing-span of 21-odd metres and an endurance of 24-hours-plus, as against seven-odd metres and 12-15 hours of Rustom-1, which has already completed five flights. ADE is the nodal lab for these projects.

Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.

“With its capability and the amount of payload it can carry, it (Rustom-2) compares well with (American) Predator (drones) and other class of vehicles,” Krishnan said.

The Predator is a nickname given to one in a series of UAVs, or pilotless drones, operated by the Pentagon, the CIA and, increasingly, other agencies of the US federal government such as the border patrol.

Asked if India is also developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles, he said “we are thinking of that one. Some plans will be there”.

Meanwhile, Rustom-1, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE – UAV), would be integrated with payloads by next month, Krishnan said.

“We have demonstrated all the flying characteristics of the Rustom more or less in the final form”.

Krishnan said the Indian Army is keenly watching the developments of Rustom-1, which has the potential military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.

India has also started working on solar-power UAVs but is still at the R&D stage.

DRDO’s Chief Controller (Aero), A Subhananda Rao, said this solar-powered UAV would have an endurance of “almost one week”.

“Solar power will have to be harnessed and energy converters of higher efficiency will have to be designed,” Rao told reporters.

“Lot of technological challenges are there. But definitely we will be getting into that. We are making a case for project sanction”, he added.

Shaurya test-fire a copy-book success

BALASORE: India on Saturday test-fired a new-age surface-to-surface nuclear capable missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), about 15- km from Balasore. Indigenously developed Shaurya missile was test-launched from an underground silo located in the launching complex-III around 2.30 pm.
Defence sources said the missile was test fired in its final configuration and met all mission objectives. "The test was a copy book success. The missile travelled along the pre-coordinated path as expected and covered a distance of nearly 700 km," said a defence release.
Shaurya can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. It is the land version of the underwater-launched missile K-15 and was first fired in 2008 from the same test range. This missile can remain hidden and camouflaged in underground silos from enemy surveillance or satellites till they are fired from the special storage-cum-launch canisters.
A defence scientist said this developmental flight trial was a part of the on-going technology demonstration work undertaken by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). The sophisticated missile can be easily handled, transported and stored within the canister for longer shelf life.
"All the radar stations, telemetry stations, electro-optical stations along the east coast have tracked and monitored all the mission parameters. Ships located near the target have also tracked and witnessed the final event. The missile has reached the target within few meters accuracy," he informed.
Shaurya, which has a strike range of 750 km, can carry a one-tonne nuclear and conventional warhead and is powered by two-stage solid fuel. Its length is about 10 metre and diameter of 0.5 metre. Its launch weight is about six tonne. The high maneuverability of the missile makes it less vulnerable to available anti-missile defence systems.
Prior to the test firing the district administration had temporarily evacuated 401 families residing within two km radius of the launching complex-III to nearby shelter camps early in the morning. They were compensated as per the prevailing guidelines. Soon after the successful launch DRDO chief controller Avinash Chander congratulated all the scientists and employees of DRDO and other establishments. Director of DRDL P Venugoplalan, Director of ITR SP Dash, Director of SPIC Satish Kumar and Programme Director AK Chakravarti monitored all the preparatory operations. Project director A Joseph and team had prepared the missile and conducted the launch flawlessly.
Source:Time of India

India's DRDO targets solar-powered UAV

India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking to develop a solar-powered unmanned air vehicle that would be capable of remaining airborne for at least a month.

The DRDO said the new system would be capable of performing long-range sorties and delivering real-time information via secure data links.

Meanwhile, sources within the same organisation have revealed that the Gas Turbine Research Establishment's indigenous Kaveri engine was deemed suitable to power a future unmanned combat air vehicle, which is currently the subject of concept studies.

The Kaveri was originally intended to power the Aeronautical Development Agency's Tejas light combat aircraft.