KashifAsrar
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,008
- Reaction score
- 0
Forces seek cruise missiles with N-tips
By Rajat Pandit/TNN
New Delhi: With the countryââ¬â¢s ballistic missile programme spluttering once again on Sunday, with the Agni-III ballistic missile test flopping, itââ¬â¢s time that defence scientists speeded up their plans to develop nuclear-tipped land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs).
The armed forces have sought LACMs, with ranges in excess of 1,500 km for precision nuclear strikes, say sources. Defence Research and Development Organisation has been working towards this end for quite some time now but sources say it will take at least another couple of years for such LACMs to become operational.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has already stolen a march on LACMs by conducting two tests of its Babur LACM, touted as being capable of carrying nuclear warheads to a 500-km distance, with Chinaââ¬â¢s help. Plans are now afoot to induct at least one full regiment of Babur missiles, with their road-mobile launchers, into the Pakistani Army by 2008.
Pakistan, in fact, speeded up its cruise missile programme after India began showing interest in the American Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and Israeli Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile systems in its eventual quest for a missile defence shield.
Cruise missiles, unlike ballistic missiles, do not leave the atmosphere and are powered and guided throughout their flight path. They can penetrate
missile and air-defence systems more effectively since they evade enemy radars by flying at low altitudes, virtually hugging the terrain.
In contrast to the far more complex ballistic missiles, LACMs are also much cheaper, more accurate and easier to operate since they can be transported in canisters, giving them more operational flexibility.
The Indian Navy, of course, has already begun inducting the supersonic BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) in some of its frontline warships, with destroyer INS Rajput being the first off the block.
But the land version of BrahMos is still far from becoming operational despite being tested for the first time in December 2004. As reported first by TOI, the Army has already begun raising a special BrahMos regiment with the hope of inducting the missile as a precision strike weapon.
But BrahMos has a strike range of only around 290 km at present, developed as it has been jointly with Russia, which has to adhere to the 300-km limit of the USsponsored Missile Technology Control Regime.
Sources, however, say work is now in progress to both increase the strike range of BrahMos as well as increase its speed from the present Mach 2.8 (almost three times the speed of sound) to around Mach 8.
Contracts worth Rs 3,500 crore have already being signed for BrahMosââ¬â¢ mass production, even as scientists are trying to configure the missile for the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets.
By Rajat Pandit/TNN
New Delhi: With the countryââ¬â¢s ballistic missile programme spluttering once again on Sunday, with the Agni-III ballistic missile test flopping, itââ¬â¢s time that defence scientists speeded up their plans to develop nuclear-tipped land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs).
The armed forces have sought LACMs, with ranges in excess of 1,500 km for precision nuclear strikes, say sources. Defence Research and Development Organisation has been working towards this end for quite some time now but sources say it will take at least another couple of years for such LACMs to become operational.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has already stolen a march on LACMs by conducting two tests of its Babur LACM, touted as being capable of carrying nuclear warheads to a 500-km distance, with Chinaââ¬â¢s help. Plans are now afoot to induct at least one full regiment of Babur missiles, with their road-mobile launchers, into the Pakistani Army by 2008.
Pakistan, in fact, speeded up its cruise missile programme after India began showing interest in the American Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and Israeli Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile systems in its eventual quest for a missile defence shield.
Cruise missiles, unlike ballistic missiles, do not leave the atmosphere and are powered and guided throughout their flight path. They can penetrate
missile and air-defence systems more effectively since they evade enemy radars by flying at low altitudes, virtually hugging the terrain.
In contrast to the far more complex ballistic missiles, LACMs are also much cheaper, more accurate and easier to operate since they can be transported in canisters, giving them more operational flexibility.
The Indian Navy, of course, has already begun inducting the supersonic BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) in some of its frontline warships, with destroyer INS Rajput being the first off the block.
But the land version of BrahMos is still far from becoming operational despite being tested for the first time in December 2004. As reported first by TOI, the Army has already begun raising a special BrahMos regiment with the hope of inducting the missile as a precision strike weapon.
But BrahMos has a strike range of only around 290 km at present, developed as it has been jointly with Russia, which has to adhere to the 300-km limit of the USsponsored Missile Technology Control Regime.
Sources, however, say work is now in progress to both increase the strike range of BrahMos as well as increase its speed from the present Mach 2.8 (almost three times the speed of sound) to around Mach 8.
Contracts worth Rs 3,500 crore have already being signed for BrahMosââ¬â¢ mass production, even as scientists are trying to configure the missile for the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets.
