India joins Ballistic Missile Defence Club

[nitesh]

The Week

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INTERVIEW/DR V.K. SARASWAT, CHIEF CONTROLLER (MISSILE SYSTEMS), DRDO
The ballistic missile interceptor is Saraswat's latest baby. As DRDO's programme director, he had spearheaded the concept of theatre defence systems and the integration of national air defence elements. He was responsible for the induction of India's first surface-to-surface missile, Prithvi, and its variants in the armed forces. This year, he hopes to hold a combined test of blasting incoming enemy missiles inside and outside the atmosphere. Excerpts from an interview:

How important was the ballistic missile interceptor test?

With this test, India has acquired the capability of air defence against incoming ballistic missiles. Once you have a ballistic missile defence system, a country with a small arsenal will think twice before launching a nuclear attack.

What are the specific advantages of the interceptors?

This interceptor can destroy missiles with a 2,000km range. In phase-II, we are developing above 2,000km class. For tracking missiles with 6,000km range, the interceptors will be helped by radars on satellites. Currently, the radars can cover an area of a radius of 600km. You need much more energy for missiles of higher range. In terms of seeker, the time is very less as the speed of the missile also increases.

How fast can the interceptor detect and react to a hostile missile?

Target classification takes just 30 seconds. Then the batteries [of the interceptor missile], which are in hot stand-by conditions, can be launched within 100-120 seconds. So in simple terms, an interceptor takes two to three minutes to react and destroy a hostile missile.

How good is the interceptor missile compared to the American Patriot missile?

The US system is developed for their defence. The threat profile of our country is different and the system has to be customised to our needs. So we cannot compare the two.

When are you expecting to complete the project?

By 2011, we expect to complete the development of missile systems. We will be conducting five tests each for endo- and exo-atmospheric (below and above 30km altitude) and integrated missile defence systems. Once that is over, the missile will be ready for deployment.

What is the technological capability of the programmes?

The system is fully automated and does not require human activation in case of an attack. Under the present system, the interceptors are on 'hot stand-by mode' and can take-off within 120 seconds of the detection of the incoming missile.

Any upcoming programmes or tech upgradations?

Till the 1990s, the challenge was to meet the range and warhead carrying capacity for the missile. But from 2002 onwards, the focus has been on accuracy of hit or hit to kill. This requires special technologies such as infrared and radio frequency seekers embedded in the missiles with high precision homing devices. We also have plans for a space-based surveillance radar system which could track any missile.

 

[Gabbar]

Indian BMD shield could be in service by 2011

A third successful test-firing of India's new ballistic missile defence (BMD) system in early March has given Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials the confidence to claim that the system will offer an initial operating capability by 2011.

They told Jane's that the BMD system would be declared operational after six more test-firings, including an integrated trial in which two interceptors will be launched at an incoming ballistic missile: one to destroy it at an altitude of 40 km and the other to annihilate falling debris at a height of 15 km. Integrated trials will take place by the end of this year, with the remaining tests completed 12 months later, the DRDO declared.

Thereafter, it will be the government's decision to induct the system as a deterrent against incoming, short-range ballistic missiles over a 200 km2 area, DRDO's chief missile scientist Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat stated.

Dr Saraswat said that during the latest trial on 6 March, a modified Prithvi Air Defence II (PAD II) two-stage hypersonic interceptor ballistic missile, fired from a mobile launcher at the integrated range on Wheeler Island, had intercepted and shot down a target missile at a height of 75 km within three minutes of being fired.

The incoming target, a nuclear-capable Dhanush (Bow) navalised version of the surface-to-surface Prithvi (Earth), was fired from a warship in the Bay of Bengal simulating the trajectory of neighbouring nuclear rival Pakistan's strategic Ghauri missile with a 1,500 km strike.

Indian BMD shield could be in service by 2011

 

[nitesh]

India needs an indigenous missile shield | Deccan Chronicle

India needs an indigenous missile shield

March 20th, 2009
By Arun Kumar Singh

The pro-American lobby is “upset” with President Obama concentrating on US’ primary interests — overcoming the recession, Iraq, “AfPak” and cozying up to China. The much-touted contract for eight Boeing P-8i LRMP aircraft for the Indian Navy will be “operationalised” after the EUMA (end user monitoring agreement) issue is resolved. Another impediment to US transfer of technology is the “CISMOA” (Communications and Information Memorandum of Agreement) that the US requires from all who buy or use its military technology. Without EUMA and CISMOA, the American F-16 and F-18 jet fighters cannot hope to compete in the ongoing 126 fighter deal for the IAF. A third agreement which the US wants India to sign is the LSA (Logistics Support Agreement), which seeks to enhance interoperability by providing refuelling to warships, while deferring the payment to a prearranged later date. I wonder how Indo-US relations will shape up if the US brings the FMCT, CTBT, PSI, CSI etc to the table, when the new government takes charge after the general elections.
The pro-China lobby in India is confused as to why Beijing is gifting two more nuclear power plants to Pakistan. Is the IAEA worried at all about the repercussions of these two known nuclear proliferators getting together yet again?
The pro-Russian lobby is fast running out of steam since the Russians have introduced a new system of first signing contracts and then hiking prices. A recent example is the original $900 million Gorshkov aircraft carrier contract, now being priced at an astounding $2.9 billion. India should now concentrate on its indigenous aircraft carrier and get it ready by 2015.
I am proud of the part played by the DRDO (and DAE) in India in acquiring its own indigenous strategic deterrent, and applaud the ongoing efforts to test the Agni-5 in 2010.
The Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS) project (phase 1, to counter Pakistan) recently underwent its third “successful” DRDO trials on March 6, and, as per media reports, is expected to become operational by about 2012 with a phase 2 (to counter China) being ready by 2014. These DRDO projects are meant to defend a selected city only, while for all of India we would need a complex, and unaffordable, “area” BMDS.
A single “area” BMDS, which would counter both Chinese and Pakistani ballistic missile threats, would be ideal. But it is ruled out due to prohibitive costs. This system would require “layered detection systems” viz an “outermost” layer with satellite-based surveillance systems to cover 3,500 km to 6,000 km, and a “middle layer” with early warning radar with a slant detection range up to 4,000 km to detect “high flying” ballistic missiles of the type China may use against us. In addition, a third “inner most” layer of “higher” frequency radar with ranges of about 1,500 km would be needed to detect “low trajectory” ballistic missiles and to discriminate between warheads and decoys or discarded booster/cruise stages. After detection, the early warning radar would pass on the information to one of the numerous suitable interceptor missiles, which would be launched with guidance from local fire control radar. These interceptor missiles too would be “layered”. For the “outermost” layer, interceptor missiles would need speeds of 4-1/2 km per second and ranges of over 200 km. The “middle” layer would comprise interceptor missiles. The “inner most” layer would need missiles like the American PAC-3 or Israeli Arrow-2 or the Indian PAD-cum-AAD.
No BMDS is foolproof. One out of every five modern ballistic missiles will reach its target. In addition, India would need a large number of expensive SAMs, AWACs, low-level radar and fighter aircraft to build an indigenous cruise missile defence system to counter the low-flying cruise missile threats from Pakistan and China. For the CMDS, the DRDO’s long-delayed AWACs and LCA projects are important.
The present Indian interceptor missile systems will only suffice to defend a single city. This system would not provide defence against the long-range and fast Chinese ballistic missiles. Since “phase 1” will not suffice, the DRDO has announced a “phase 2” BMDS by 2014, which will comprise a 1,500 km radar and a new PDV interceptor missile. A combination of phases 1 and 2 will provide limited point defence capability to selected cities, assuming that an Indian satellite surveillance system also becomes operational. India needs two “point” BMDS to defend, specifically, New Delhi and Mumbai, and also a very “limited” CMDS, by 2015. However, higher priority will have to be given to countering terror while providing adequate conventional warfare and strategic second-strike capability.
We must use our limited finances wisely. While good relations with the US and Russia are important, we also need a pro-India lobby.

 

[duhastmish]

A missile shield should be top priority for DRDO. I am very much confident that our scietist are more than qualified to do that. But may be time to move out of their comfort zone now. We need to fully utilize this year defence budget. dont leave a single paisa out of it!

 

[paritosh]

yeah i heard that the people at DRDO are confident of producing a 99.8% accurate BM interceptor by 2011...i mean 99.8%?? is that even possible?
the link...
Ares Homepage

 

[duhastmish]

See thats what i dont like about DRDO - they talk so high and when it coems to product - Our hopes become too high and they cant come upto them.
I hope they understand how to keep LOW KEY and produce soem stuff. first prove and then talk. theory.

 

[nitesh]

What is the problem here? At any given point of time minimum of 2 interceptors will be sent to destroy incoming missile. Also it can be launched in salvo mode so the kill probability will be high. And all the tests are bang on target. So I don't understand any logic behind the thinking of "not possible".

 

[paritosh]

What is the problem here? At any given point of time minimum of 2 interceptors will be sent to destroy incoming missile. Also it can be launched in salvo mode so the kill probability will be high. And all the tests are bang on target. So I don't understand any logic behind the thinking of "not possible".

well i am for being low key till the system gets inducted...it is possible...but it aint that we have had a decade of experience in the field of missile defense....till very recently we wanted a US system...or the S-300/S-400...which individually have a lower accuracy...than what is being claimed by the DRDO.i am a tad bit skeptical about the whole affair...i mean if it was about designing a hypersonic missile or a cruise missile or even an ICBM...i'd believe that because we have been working on them for some time now on them...but missile defense is an area where i have my doubts.

 

[nitesh]

well i am for being low key till the system gets inducted...it is possible...but it aint that we have had a decade of experience in the field of missile defense....till very recently we wanted a US system...or the S-300/S-400...which individually have a lower accuracy...than what is being claimed by the DRDO.i am a tad bit skeptical about the whole affair...i mean if it was about designing a hypersonic missile or a cruise missile or even an ICBM...i'd believe that because we have been working on them for some time now on them...but missile defense is an area where i have my doubts.

Now the point is what a BMD system is all about:

1. Tracking the incoming missile: Which requires radars like developed for our system LRTR or swordfish.

2. Fire control radar which will fire the interceptor missile on right time: There is French input taken for this.

3. The actual interceptor missile: Right now there are two missiles which are in use PAD which is exo atmospheric interceptor first stage is liquid and second stage is solid. For this a new version is in development known as PDV which will be all solid stages. this test used gimbelled directional warhead too. Which gives more destructive capability. AAD is solid stage missile only.


Now how you came to know we don't have any experience in this field at all. BMD systems are unique for every country based on the threat profile they face. Other systems were evaluated and not found suitable hence this system is getting developed. Now if you are skeptical for the heck of it you are entitled for that.

 

[paritosh]

gee...what kinda radars are we talking about there?

 

[nitesh]

There are two main radars. one is LRTR which will track the incoming missile current range is 600km new version is proposed to have a range of more then 1000km (Will be part of phase II system). BMD system will be assisted by space based assets and other assets also. So there is a road map. By 2011 target is to develop a system which can counter IRBM class of missiles and then pahse II will be for ICBM class of missiles for which hypersonic interceptors will be required (check specifications of shourya it is a hypersonic missile).

 

[LCA]

complete video of recent interceptor test

sorry if it is posted already

It also have both the view(interceptor and target).

 

[nitesh]

Hat-trick of hits

Hat-trick of hits

T.S. SUBRAMANIAN

The success of the DRDO’s March 6 test means that India will have a ballistic missile defence shield ready for deployment in four years.


The interceptor missile Prithvi racing towards its target soon after its launch from Wheeler Island, off the Orissa coast, on March 6.


THE Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) prowess in advanced software that goes into the making of interceptor missiles was proved convincingly on March 6 when a Prithvi interceptor missile achieved a direct hit-to-kill on an “enemy” missile. The interception took place at an altitude of 80 kilometres when a modified Dhanush missile, launched from the naval ship INS Subhadra in the Bay of Bengal, was in its descent phase and hurtling towards Wheeler Island, off Orissa’s coast. Dhanush was simulating the final phase of the trajectory of ballistic missiles with a range of 1,500 km, such as Pakistan’s Ghauri missile. At the end of over five minutes of heightened suspense at the Launch Control Centre (LCC) on Wheeler Island, the Prithvi interceptor missile cut into the path of the incoming “Dhanush” missile, knocked it out and also pulverised the latter with its new manoeuvrable warhead.

Such was the accuracy of the interception that those scanning the plot-boards at the LCC celebrated like never before. India was finally on the way to acquiring a ballistic missile defence shield to thwart enemy attacks. In terms of strategic importance, the success established India’s capability to intercept Pakistan’s Hatf and Ghauri missiles.

“Our strength is our software,” V.K. Saraswat, Programme Director, Air Defence, DRDO, had declared in November 2008. “In the ballistic missile defence shield, if there are glitches in the software, it cannot be excused. It has to work thoroughly. There are a million lines of code. The onboard software runs in real time in the interceptor missile.”

Saraswat called the March 6 success “a major test in assembling the ballistic missile defence system as part of network-centric warfare”. He added: “In the next 25 years, you will see a growth in the direction of network-centric warfare. So we are making these building blocks.”

It was the third success in a row for the DRDO, which has been making all-out efforts to acquire a two-layered ballistic missile defence shield with interceptors that can shoot down incoming missiles. It tasted success in its first mission on November 27, 2006, when a Prithvi missile intercepted a Prithvi-II missile at an altitude of 48 km in what is called the exo-atmosphere. It was a direct hit. The interceptor was called Prithvi Air Defence (PAD-01). Again, on December 6, 2008, an Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile shot down a modified Prithvi missile at an altitude of 15 km in what is called the endo-atmosphere when the “attacker” was in the final stage of its flight. It was a direct hit too. With the March 6 direct hit, the DRDO has achieved a hat-trick.

If the interception on March 6 took place at an altitude much higher than in the previous missions, there are distinct advantages to it. The debris will take longer to fall through the atmosphere and become cinders because of re-entry heat. In an actual war, this will reduce the effect of any fallout of the debris of a nuclear warhead and the risks associated with radiation.

Three features stood out in the latest mission: the Prithvi interceptor missile’s gimballed/manoeuvrable warhead, which can rotate 360 degrees; the interceptor’s coasting phase, which can “take care” of the manoeuvres performed by the attacker; and the very advanced software residing in the computers of the interceptor. The warhead is called a directional one because it can be directed to explode towards the target. Only the U.S. and Russia have gimballed directional warheads.

Regarding the software used in the interceptor, Saraswat said: “The software of the guidance, control and navigation systems, which was generated by our scientists in Hyderabad, is practically the high watermark of the technology of our ballistic missile defence system. It will not be out of place to say that while many countries have been struggling for many years to get this kind of performance, it is to the credit of the young team at the DRDO that it made this mission a success. As far as the programme is concerned, this is a major milestone in proving the capability of our ballistic missile defence shield.” The computer controlled, navigated and guided the vehicle towards its target, besides performing a series of mission-sequencing tasks. Besides, the interceptor had a special software to discriminate the terminal phase of the enemy missile’s flight. Interceptions would take place in the terminal phase.

The test


Dhanush, the “enemy” missile, was a single-stage missile with a diameter of one metre, a weight of 4.5 tonnes, and a height of 9.4 m. Propelled by liquid fuel, it quickly climbed to an altitude of 150 km, cut a parabola and started heading towards Wheeler Island. About 50 seconds into its flight, radars at Konark and Paradip in Orissa tracked the missile and relayed the information to the Mission Control Centre (MCC) on Wheeler Island. The MCC then analysed whether it was a ballistic missile or an aircraft. Within five seconds, the MCC concluded that it was a “hostile” target which would impact close to Wheeler Island very soon. This information was received by the LCC, which used it to compute the trajectory of the interceptor to engage the incoming ballistic missile. It then decided that the interception should take place at an altitude of 80 km when Dhanush was in its descent mode. The LCC also quickly decided when the interceptor, named Prithvi Air Defence (PAD-02), should lift off. When the launch computer gave the command for it to blast off, the two-stage interceptor, 10 metres tall, weighing 5.2 tonnes and having a diameter of one metre, rose from a truck on the beach-head on the island. While its first stage was powered by liquid fuel, the second stage had solid propellants.

About five minutes and ten seconds later, when the interceptor had reached an altitude of 80 km, its homing seeker acquired the target when it was 25 km away. Using this information, the interceptor’s computer guided it towards the target and brought it within a few metres of Dhanush.

At this point of time, the radio proximity fuse (RPF) of the gimballed directional warhead calculated the distance from Dhanush and the time at which the warhead should detonate.

“When the interceptor and the target were practically colliding with each other, the warhead was detonated, which led to the fragmentation of the target and the interceptor. It was a direct hit and also a warhead detonation. A large number of fragments formed due to the collision and detonation of the warhead were tracked by ground radars and the radars on ships. We could see on our plot boards hundreds of new tracks being formed, confirming that it was both a direct hit and a detonation,” Saraswat said.

The highlights of the mission were proving the technology of the gimballed directional warhead and demonstrating the interceptor’s coasting phase, using a vernier thruster. This coasting phase in the interceptor’s trajectory helps it to decide at what stage it should intercept the “enemy” missile. If the attacker does a manoeuvre, the interceptor’s guidance system will take care of it. To make the seeker effective, the DRDO used a wide-beam RPF in the warhead, which was a mini-radar. “So even if there is a manoeuvre by the enemy missile in the last 500 milliseconds, the RPF will be able to take care of it. The directional warhead will be ignited on the basis of the data given by the RPF,” said Saraswat.

Another major element employed in the mission was the advanced battle management command, control and communication software, which resided in the MCC. The entire event was tracked by a number of ground stations with complete mobile and static communication systems provided by satellites, fibre optics and line-of-sight communication.

Saraswat said: “It was a mission planned, designed and executed with clockwork precision. It proves the robustness, reliability and repeatability of the design of India’s emerging ballistic missile defence system, which can take care of incoming missiles with a range of 300 km to 1,500 km. It demonstrates that the DRDO’s ballistic missile defence shield has reached a great level of maturity.”

COURTESY: DRDO

THE DHANUSH MISSILE being launched from the naval ship INS Subhadra in the Bay of Bengal.

W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, DRDO, predicted that in the wake of the “hat-trick of successes”, India’s ballistic missile defence shield would be ready for deployment in about four years. “It will take us a couple of more trials before our system is ready to be offered for deployment. In the next trial, we will do combined interceptions in both the exo-atmosphere and the endo-atmosphere,” he said.

 

[nitesh]

Some points from the above article:

“a major test in assembling the ballistic missile defence system as part of network-centric warfare”

With the March 6 direct hit, the DRDO has achieved a hat-trick.

Prithvi interceptor missile’s gimballed/manoeuvrable warhead, which can rotate 360 degrees; the interceptor’s coasting phase, which can “take care” of the manoeuvres performed by the attacker;

So we have defense against manoevourable war heads

The warhead is called a directional one because it can be directed to explode towards the target. Only the U.S. and Russia have gimballed directional warheads.

So we are the third country

The highlights of the mission were proving the technology of the gimballed directional warhead and demonstrating the interceptor’s coasting phase, using a vernier thruster. This coasting phase in the interceptor’s trajectory helps it to decide at what stage it should intercept the “enemy” missile. If the attacker does a manoeuvre, the interceptor’s guidance system will take care of it. To make the seeker effective, the DRDO used a wide-beam RPF in the warhead, which was a mini-radar. “So even if there is a manoeuvre by the enemy missile in the last 500 milliseconds, the RPF will be able to take care of it. The directional warhead will be ignited on the basis of the data given by the RPF,” said Saraswat.

Another major element employed in the mission was the advanced battle management command, control and communication software, which resided in the MCC. The entire event was tracked by a number of ground stations with complete mobile and static communication systems provided by satellites, fibre optics and line-of-sight communication.

So satellites are already part of our defense shield?

 

[nitesh]

Why BrahMos failed

Why BrahMos failed


Brahmos missiles on display at the Army Day parade in New Delhi on January 15.

SUCCESS stories at the Defence Research and Development Organisation are occasionally interspersed with failure. An experiment on January 20 was one such.

The supersonic cruise missile BrahMos missed the target at the Army’s range at Pokhran in Rajasthan because its global positioning system (GPS) blanked out, said DRDO officials. The American satellites that run the GPS had been switched off on the day Barack Obama was sworn in the United States President, they said. The missile, therefore, travelled for 112 seconds instead of the slated 84 seconds and fell 7 km away from the target.

The officials could not say whether the Americans had deliberately switched off the GPS satellites to test whether India’s missile mission would be a success without them. They conceded that it was possible to switch off GPS-linked satellites selectively. The failure of the mission, therefore, has underlined the need for India to have its own GPS-linked satellites instead of depending on American or Russian constellations, said an official.

BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, is essentially an anti-ship missile. It can hit targets 290 km away, and can cruise at a particular altitude at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound). BrahMos is the only missile in the world, according to the DRDO, that can hit targets both in sea and on land, without any change in its hardware; only the software in the missile’s computer has to be changed.

Officials of the DRDO described the January 20 mission as a difficult one because the target was just 50 km away instead of the normal 290 km. The missile, launched in a land-attack mode, had to hit a particular target out of a cluster of targets. The Army insisted that the error in hitting the target, which resembled a chemical weapons factory, could not exceed one metre. Reflectors had been installed to mislead the missile.

The DRDO, therefore, made a new seeker for the missile to meet this challenge. A software was developed with a new algorithm, which was to help the missile reach the target by using the GPS data obtained from the U.S. satellites. The mission demanded that the missile’s inertial navigation system (INS), its GPS receiver and its seeker should all work together.

But there were constraints on the mission. A DRDO official said: “When the missile is flying very fast, it is difficult to perform manoeuvres…. The GPS data did not come in time, so the INS data with its uncorrected error was taken as the reference and we missed the target.”

A repeat mission on March 4, with the American GPS-linked satellites turned on, was a success.

T.S. Subramanian