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India tests 3,000 km range n-missile in secret
VISHAL THAPAR New Delhi | 10th May 2014
ndia has secretly test fired its most potent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which gives it the capability to nuclear-bombard a target on land 3,000 km away from an undersea firing platform. The successful maiden launch of the K-4 on 24 March marks one of the most significant advances in its nuclear weapons programme, say sources. This came ahead of the 16th anniversary of the 11 May 1998 Pokhran-II detonations, when India declared itself a nuclear weapons state.
"The K-4 is a worthy successor to the 750-km-range K-15 (also known as the B-05), India's first undersea missile, and extends India's strike range substantially," acknowledged sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is fostering India's weapons programme.
The missile was fired from an underwater pontoon off India's eastern seaboard at a simulated target in the Southern Indian Ocean. "The full range of this twin-stage missile was validated," sources confirmed to The Sunday Guardian.
The K-4 is a critical component of the missing third (or underwater) leg of India's nuclear triad of weapons, which can be launched from air, land and under the sea. The K series of missiles is named after the missile stalwart and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
"With the K-4, India's underwater deterrence becomes more meaningful. The present range (750 km with the earlier K-15, India's first undersea missile) is hardly deployable," infers veteran submariner and nuclear strategist Rear Admiral (Retd) Raja Menon, who sees the K-15 mainly as a stepping stone in the learning curve for the development of long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The K-15 has been test-fired earlier at least 10 times. The enhanced range of the K-4 will give India better stand-off attack capability without having to get too close to the target, which involves big risks.
Underwater deterrence based on proven capability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from a submarine is critical to India's doctrine of No First Use. This is considered the most reliable, and survivable, second strike capability because nuclear weapons hidden under the sea are the most difficult for an adversary to target in a decapitating attack. Although the land-launched Agni-4 and Agni-5 give India's nuclear weapons a greater reach of up to 5,000 km and beyond, unique technological challenges had to be overcome in the development of the K-4, which makes Indian deterrence more credible.
But despite this impressive breakthrough, India's undersea missiles are not deployable weapons yet. These have to be first mated with the Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarines being developed by India. Arihant, the first of the three nuclear submarines (SSBN) being built at Vishakhapatnam, is being readied for sea trials soon. Its nuclear reactor turned critical last year.
The Arihant and the two follow-on submarines will reportedly be able to carry 12 K-15 or four K-4 missiles. These missiles will finally be proven in test-firings from the Arihant during weapons trials, which are to follow sea trials later this year. Former Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi had publicly indicated last year that the Arihant would be on operational deterrence patrol by the end of 2014, but further deadline slippages on this already-delayed programme appea inevitable.
The good news is that the weapons of underwater deterrence appear ready, even as the platform which will carry these through oceanic depths is crossing the final hurdles.
India tests 3,000 km range n-missile in secret
'Secret' Test Of India's 3,000-km n-SLBM Revealed
The K-4 surfaces! Well, properly at least. There's been a sudden rush of reports through this week on the secretive -- and largely missed (except for this Times Of India report) -- launch of India's K-4 long range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The maiden test launch, from an underwater pontoon launch platform, reportedly took place on March 24 in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
Friend Vishal Thapar over at The Sunday Guardian has this piece out today on the 'secretive' test of the 3,000-km range nuclear capable missile. Two days before that, The Hindu's trusty T.S Subramanian reported on the successful test that took place a little less than two months earlier. It was, however, network colleague Sandeep Unnithan who conducted this comprehensive outing of the K-4 and its cousins way back in 2010 (infographic seen here from the original piece), providing the first solid details about the K family of weapons.
The DRDO's decision to conduct the test in secret isn't surprising, though they weren't quite so shy [video] in January last year when they flew the K-4's smaller cousin, the 750-km range K-15 from a similar underground launch platform in the same test range. (In 2010, I'd also scooped this picture of the R-glass composite cannister for the K-15 missile.)
The DRDO doesn't want to say much yet about the K-4. If they do, it'll be up here first.
Livefist
Success on debut for undersea launch of missile
T. S. Subramanian
The missile can carry nuclear warheads over 3,000 km
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested an underwater-launched missile called K-4 with a range of about 3,000 km on March 24.
The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 metres deep in the sea off the Visakhapatnam coast. After a powerful gas generator ejected it from the pontoon submerged in the Bay of Bengal, the K-4 missile rose into the air, took a turn towards the designated target, sped across 3,000 km in the sky and dropped into the Indian Ocean. What has made the DRDO missile technologists happy is that the mission was successful in K-4’s maiden flight. The two-stage missile will carry nuclear warheads, forming the lethal payload of India’s nuclear-powered submarines, which are under construction.
“It was an excellent flight on March 24. The K-4 missile travelled a little more than 3,000 km,” informed sources said. “We will do many more missions to prove the missile’s sub-systems and increase their reliability.”
India is the fifth country in the world to have a missile launched underwater.
The sources described K-4 as “the proud successor” of the K-15 underwater-launched missile, codenamed B-05. Nearly 10 development trials of K-15 missile have already been completed from pontoons submerged in the Bay of Bengal over the past few years.
Success on debut for undersea launch of missile - The Hindu
VISHAL THAPAR New Delhi | 10th May 2014
ndia has secretly test fired its most potent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which gives it the capability to nuclear-bombard a target on land 3,000 km away from an undersea firing platform. The successful maiden launch of the K-4 on 24 March marks one of the most significant advances in its nuclear weapons programme, say sources. This came ahead of the 16th anniversary of the 11 May 1998 Pokhran-II detonations, when India declared itself a nuclear weapons state.
"The K-4 is a worthy successor to the 750-km-range K-15 (also known as the B-05), India's first undersea missile, and extends India's strike range substantially," acknowledged sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is fostering India's weapons programme.
The missile was fired from an underwater pontoon off India's eastern seaboard at a simulated target in the Southern Indian Ocean. "The full range of this twin-stage missile was validated," sources confirmed to The Sunday Guardian.
The K-4 is a critical component of the missing third (or underwater) leg of India's nuclear triad of weapons, which can be launched from air, land and under the sea. The K series of missiles is named after the missile stalwart and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
"With the K-4, India's underwater deterrence becomes more meaningful. The present range (750 km with the earlier K-15, India's first undersea missile) is hardly deployable," infers veteran submariner and nuclear strategist Rear Admiral (Retd) Raja Menon, who sees the K-15 mainly as a stepping stone in the learning curve for the development of long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The K-15 has been test-fired earlier at least 10 times. The enhanced range of the K-4 will give India better stand-off attack capability without having to get too close to the target, which involves big risks.
Underwater deterrence based on proven capability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from a submarine is critical to India's doctrine of No First Use. This is considered the most reliable, and survivable, second strike capability because nuclear weapons hidden under the sea are the most difficult for an adversary to target in a decapitating attack. Although the land-launched Agni-4 and Agni-5 give India's nuclear weapons a greater reach of up to 5,000 km and beyond, unique technological challenges had to be overcome in the development of the K-4, which makes Indian deterrence more credible.
But despite this impressive breakthrough, India's undersea missiles are not deployable weapons yet. These have to be first mated with the Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarines being developed by India. Arihant, the first of the three nuclear submarines (SSBN) being built at Vishakhapatnam, is being readied for sea trials soon. Its nuclear reactor turned critical last year.
The Arihant and the two follow-on submarines will reportedly be able to carry 12 K-15 or four K-4 missiles. These missiles will finally be proven in test-firings from the Arihant during weapons trials, which are to follow sea trials later this year. Former Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi had publicly indicated last year that the Arihant would be on operational deterrence patrol by the end of 2014, but further deadline slippages on this already-delayed programme appea inevitable.
The good news is that the weapons of underwater deterrence appear ready, even as the platform which will carry these through oceanic depths is crossing the final hurdles.
India tests 3,000 km range n-missile in secret
'Secret' Test Of India's 3,000-km n-SLBM Revealed
The K-4 surfaces! Well, properly at least. There's been a sudden rush of reports through this week on the secretive -- and largely missed (except for this Times Of India report) -- launch of India's K-4 long range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The maiden test launch, from an underwater pontoon launch platform, reportedly took place on March 24 in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
Friend Vishal Thapar over at The Sunday Guardian has this piece out today on the 'secretive' test of the 3,000-km range nuclear capable missile. Two days before that, The Hindu's trusty T.S Subramanian reported on the successful test that took place a little less than two months earlier. It was, however, network colleague Sandeep Unnithan who conducted this comprehensive outing of the K-4 and its cousins way back in 2010 (infographic seen here from the original piece), providing the first solid details about the K family of weapons.
The DRDO's decision to conduct the test in secret isn't surprising, though they weren't quite so shy [video] in January last year when they flew the K-4's smaller cousin, the 750-km range K-15 from a similar underground launch platform in the same test range. (In 2010, I'd also scooped this picture of the R-glass composite cannister for the K-15 missile.)
The DRDO doesn't want to say much yet about the K-4. If they do, it'll be up here first.
Livefist
Success on debut for undersea launch of missile
T. S. Subramanian
The missile can carry nuclear warheads over 3,000 km
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested an underwater-launched missile called K-4 with a range of about 3,000 km on March 24.
The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 metres deep in the sea off the Visakhapatnam coast. After a powerful gas generator ejected it from the pontoon submerged in the Bay of Bengal, the K-4 missile rose into the air, took a turn towards the designated target, sped across 3,000 km in the sky and dropped into the Indian Ocean. What has made the DRDO missile technologists happy is that the mission was successful in K-4’s maiden flight. The two-stage missile will carry nuclear warheads, forming the lethal payload of India’s nuclear-powered submarines, which are under construction.
“It was an excellent flight on March 24. The K-4 missile travelled a little more than 3,000 km,” informed sources said. “We will do many more missions to prove the missile’s sub-systems and increase their reliability.”
India is the fifth country in the world to have a missile launched underwater.
The sources described K-4 as “the proud successor” of the K-15 underwater-launched missile, codenamed B-05. Nearly 10 development trials of K-15 missile have already been completed from pontoons submerged in the Bay of Bengal over the past few years.
Success on debut for undersea launch of missile - The Hindu
