Inside India's Secretive K Family of Missiles - A Tribute to the Father of Indian Nuclear Deterrence

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Inside India's K Family of Missiles ​

Sharing an old article on India's K family of missiles named after Dr. Kalam who we know passed away on 27 - Dr. Kalam is considered the Father of Indian Ballistic Missiles & Satellite Launch Vehicles Programme for his outstanding contribution to the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) & Indian SLV's including India's first SLV - the SLV-3, ASLV and ISRO's work horse the PSLV. It is due to Dr. Kalam and other first generation of Indian scientists that today India is included in select groups of nations fairing in Space and Missile technology. May his soul rest in peace!

The K family of missiles is a series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to boost its second-strike capabilities and thus the nuclear deterrence. Information about this family of missiles has mostly been kept classified. "The classified 'K' missile family" is known as the "Black Project" which DRDO officials are covertly working on. It is reported that "the top secret indigenous "K" missiles are faster, lighter and stealthier."

These 'K' missiles are intrinsically important for India's nuclear deterrent arsenal because they provide India with a much needed ideal and invulnerable second-strike capability stated in India's Nuclear Doctrine and thus shift the balance of power in India's favour in Asian region.

The article first appeared in Indian Today Magazine in 2010 - Further developments and updates on the same project follow -

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Source:- The secret 'K' missile family : The Big Story - India Today

Complete K Family of Missiles -

Developments on the project since 2010 -

(01) K-15 or Sagarika K-15 missile - The Sagarika/K-15 missile (Sanskrit: सागरिका, IAST:Sāgarikā, meaning Oceanic) is the SLBM version of the land-based Shaurya missile. With a shorter range than K-4 missiles it has been integrated with Arihant class submarine right now in sea trails which will test fire the same shortly as reported.

N-sub INS Arihant to test-fire missile

Medium range K-15 ballistic missile has a range between 700 km to 1,500 km with varying payload. This will also get help from Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) to ensure guaranteed national access to precision navigation. These will enable high accuracy required for precision strike. The last developmental test of the missile was conducted on 28 January 2013 from an under water launch platform off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

K-15's Launcher​

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

(02) Shaurya missile - The land version of the under-water Sagarika K-15 missile - A canister launched hypersonic surface-to-surface tactical missile developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for use by the Indian Armed Forces. It has a range of between 750 to 1,900 km (470 to 1,180 mi) and is capable of carrying a payload of one ton conventional or nuclear warhead. It gives the potential to strike in the short-intermediate range against any adversary.

Speculated to replace ageing short range Agni I & Prithvi series missiles in Indian Nuclear Arsenal - It entered production in 2011 and has been duly inducted in the Indian Armed Forces.

(03) K-4 Missile - K-4, named after former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, is the next significant development under the K-X series by DRDO. It was covertly tested off the coast of Visakhapatnam in January, 2010. However, any detail regarding the developments in this project are confidential and this project is sometimes referred to as "BLACK PROJECT" whose existence is neither denied nor acknowledged by DRDO. While there are some reports that claim that K-4 is a submarine-launched version of AGNI-V, other reports state that it is actually a SLBM Version of the Agni-III missile that is being worked on. The goal of this project is to expand the second-strike options for the country, DRDO scientists told reporters during a briefing. A total of 258 private firms and 20 DRDO laboratories were involved in this venture. The Missile is said to have two variants. One with a range of 3,500 km that is 10 m long and the other with a range of 5,000 km will be 12 m long to arm future nuclear submarines of the Arihant class. K-4 will provide India with the capability to target China and Pakistan simultaneously. INS Arihant, first of the Arihant Class Submarines, will be able to carry 4 (10 m long) K-4s or 12 K-15s.The K-4 missile in its final version was successfully tested on 24 March 2014 from a simulated underwater pontoon submerged 30 m deep and the missile is expected to be operational on INS Arihant in early 2016.

Not much info is available on this missile in the public domain.

(04) K-5 Missile - K-5 missile is reportedly being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian strategic forces’ underwater platforms. It will arm the future variants of Arihant class submarines of the Indian Navy. Reportedly, DRDO is in the process of developing a submarine-launched solid fuel missile with a maximum range of 6,000 kilometres and a payload of one tonne. However, there is strong opacity regarding the details of this project.

Not much info is available on K-5 and the other Air Launched missile in the K-series in the public domain.

 

[khujliwal]

Another reason for naming K is that they all are meant to do Kuttapa after launch.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Additionally - BrahMos Aerospace, the India-Russia JV operational since February 1998, created history when the submarine-launched version of the BrahMos-1 vertically-launched supersonic multi-role cruise missile was successfully test-fired at 1410 hours on March 20,2013 from a submerged, stabilised and stationary platform (the same that was used for test-firing the B-O5/K-15 SLBM on January 27, 2013) in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

Creating history, the missile took off vertically from its submerged cannister and attained its full range of 290km. Following a pre-programmed flight trajectory, the missile emerged from underwater and took a vectored turn towards the designated target. All the shore-based and shipborne telemetry and tracking stations confirmed the pin-point accuracy of the mission. This was reportedly the first time that any supersonic multi-role cruise missile had been launched vertically from a submerged, stabilised and stationary platform. When vertically installed in vertical cannisters within the pressure-hull of a nuclear-powered SSGN, the BrahMos-1 increases the ‘offensive power’ of the SSGN without compromising on the SSGN’s ‘defensive power’ as the torpedo tubes can be fully utilised for engaging in undersea warfare while operating in the self-seeking hunter-killer mode.

 

[Phantom 1]

Salute to this man for his contribution.
You will be loved by us.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

The inside story of SLBM K-15
By Cmde Ranjit B Rai

Launch of K-15 SLBM​

On January 27, 2013 somewhere in the East Coast of India the 10.22-metre long K-15/B-05 solid-fuelled SLBM with a 750km-range and under water missile hit a predetermined target at sea successfully in a final trial from an underwater battery operated submarine like platform at about 20 meters depth. A Dr Chakravarty, a senior capable scientist of the DRDO who IDU learns from media has just been retired undecorated was delighted, and someone phoned Vice Admiral PC Bhasin to inform and congratulate him.

Bhasin was a former DG of the nuclear submarine INS ARIHANT/ATV project till few years ago as Secretary to the GOI. Bhasin was a former Chief of Material(COM) at NHQ and also Director of the ATV project who as a young Lt prepared the Styx Missiles for the Osa class boats used in the 1971 to hit ships off Karachi. All liquid fuelled missiles worked perfectly to Admiral Gorshkov’s delight. Bahsin has since lived missiles and electrics all his life as an electrical officer.

Media has reported that R & D had begun the project in 1998 by an Indian Navy-led team, since at that time the DRDO has only some 200 missile scientists & engineers, none of whom had any experience in developing solid-fuelled rockets. Mark what media reported Indian Navy-led team as only NDTV Rep was allowed access to the Naval Ship where the DRDO scientists were on the naval tracking and look out ship.

It now comes out that Bhasin was wondering in 1997 why is the Indian Navy building a nuclear submarine for over Rs 3000 crores with a 300 km nuclear missile like Dhanush. Though electrical Bhasin, known as Indian Navy’s Rickover after the legendary US Admiral Rickover who headed US Navy’s nuclear submarine programmes for years, asked Navy and DRDO to think of a Solid fuel missile from under water with longer range as K Santhanam of DRDO was also thinking on same lines. Bhasin took the risk allocated around Rs 300 crores and a Dr Chakraborty and his team now named by media began work at DRDL Hyderabad with freedom. This is the way projects should go.

HBL Submarine battery​

Much is secret of the components but HILIFE Batteries Hyderabad had built submarine batteries but the Navy would not test them as Navy has strong bonds first with Standard Batteries who supplied the 200 ton batteries for submarines and later Exide who bought out Standard. HILIFE went to court against the Indian Navy on ‘competition law’ to make Navy buy its superior and cheaper batteries and in court revealed they were supplying DRDO submarine batteries for a project. Now one can link up it was the first name given to the underwater missile SAGARIKA ‘from the seas’, but it was classified. Inadvertently at Aero India when President Pranab Mukherjee as Defence Minister admitted to a journalists question that there was project called Sagarika. The name was changed to B-05 after Bhasin and many say it was named Bhasin and his birthday 5th, but the Scientists said it should be Kalam-15 as former President Kalam is born on 15th October 1931 so K-15. Now its name is K-15/B-05 in the media.

The R & D project, known as Sagarika, saw the development of various sub-systems of the K-15 that were tried out between 2004 & November 2008 in 10 different test-firings many in Bhasin’s time at various shore-based establishments off Balasore took place.. The first fully-integrated test-firing of the 6.5-tonne K-15/B-05 was conducted in January 2010 followed by another one in January 2011, another one in January 2012 & 27th Jan test-firing, in all totalling 4 test-firings of a fully functional SLBM from an underwater pontoon.

Two more test-firings are due in future, these being conducted from the Arihant SSBN sometime next year. The 27th Jan test-firing saw the K-15’s first-stage solid-fuel rocket booster being ignited inside a pontoon-based silo 20 metres under water & being lifted up to an altitude of 7km. Then the second-stage solid-fuel rocket ignited & lifted the K-15/B-05 to an altitude of 40km, following which the K-15 adopted a depressed trajectory flight-path. Being developed now is the follow-on 20-tonne 10.22-metre long but fatter K-4 SLBM which will have a 3,500km-range for the next ATVs with bigger plugs as increasing the range is now possible. This will be followed by an enhanced 12-metre-long version of the K-4 SLBM with a 5,000km-range. IDU congratulated Bhasin and Chakraborty and the unsung team and shows if Navy DRDO teams up with risk management sans bureaucracy more can be achived. In Navy we say BRAVO ZULU.

Source:- The inside story of SLBM K-15 » Indian Defence Review

 

[Indian Jatt]

we need agni 6 and K5 to have maximum detterent capability against china, so that Chinese navy does not hunt down our submarines.......this statement can have a positive reaction from UN and US........range of a missile keeps the submarine safe.....5000km is very good range....

 

[Echo_419]

Another reason for naming K is that they all are meant to do Kuttapa after launch.

What's the meaning of kuttapa

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

What's the meaning of kuttapa

He meant the character "Katappa" as in the movie "Baahubali: The Beginning".

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Missile System APJ Abdul Kalam dreamed for India

Former President of India A?P?J Abdul Kalam nearly 4 years back urged Indian scientists to work on development of a new world-class missile systems which could be world’s first such weapons system which will ensure 100% destruction of the target with no defensive mechanism to stop it .

Kalam visioned hypersonic potent missile System which could travel at the speed of Mach-7-10 deliver the warhead, assess the destruction of the target, come back and get ready to go again.

Kalam then said that hypersonic missile has to be made reusable Since Such missile system will be more expensive than Conventional missiles systems and if we fail to make it reusable then it will mean it will be used only on High valued targets which will limit its role in future warfare.

Hypersonic vehicles with multi-use will reduce the cost and India will not need to make the missile system again and again to be build inventory. Kalam’s Vision was Autonomous hypersonic missile system which can carry different payloads and attack enemy targets and reach back to home base for next mission in relatively small turnaround period.

India currently with Russia are working on BrahMos II programme which will be first hypersonic missile coming out of India but it is still not confirmed if the missile will be reusable.

Missile System APJ Abdul Kalam dreamed for India | idrw.org

 

[Echo_419]

He meant the character "Katappa" as in the movie "Baahubali: The Beginning".

Fortunately I saw the movie

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Kalam's unrealised 'Nag' missile dream to become reality next year​

Nag missile with the NAMICA in the background.​

HYDERABAD: One unrealized dream of 'Missile man' A P J Abdul Kalam who died on July 27, will become a reality next year.

Production of the anti-tank missile 'Nag', a 'fire and forget' missile developed to hit and destroy stationery or moving battle tanks will begin next year. Defense advisor to Raksha Mantri, G Satheesh Reddy told TOI that while the other missiles planned as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) had become a reality, in so far as 'Nag' was concerned there had been some limitations related to technology. Those have now become overcome. "The 'Nag' missile will be go for production next year," Satheesh Reddy said. The other missiles 'Prithvi', 'Dhanush', the five versions of 'Agni', 'Akash' and 'Astra' as part of the IGMDP have already been developed.

The 'Nag' missile developed by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which Abdul Kalam headed, will move like a 'cobra' to hit battle tanks in a range of 4 km to 7 km distance.

"Everything that Kalam planned has become a reality. He was someone who had both technical and managerial skills to pursue plans," Satheesh Reddy who worked under Kalam when he joined the DRDL in 1986 said. Satheesh Reddy who was noticed by Kalam for the work he was putting in associated himself with Reddy who worked on navigation technology.

If India has several missiles and variants of them, it was also due to the efforts of Kalam. "He brought about integration between various groups which were working independently towards their set goals. The integrated reaped dividends," he said.

If India is now in a strong position because of the its missiles, especially the 6,000-km range intercontinental ballistic missile, it was also due to Kalam's 'big thinking'.

"Think big. It is a sin to think small," Kalam would tell colleagues in the DRDL and DRDO. And if anyone amongst his colleagues would keep silent during a discussion, he would prod him or her to speak and contribute. Even if he had already taken a decision on some matters, he would still keep his mind open to ideas.

Kalam's nature was always to protect his colleagues and take the blame from his superiors if something went wrong, Satheesh Reddy recalled.

Source:- Kalam's unrealised 'Nag' missile dream to become reality next year - The Times of India

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

India's tribute to Missile Man: New BrahMos gets Kalam name​

India will pay its Missile Man the ultimate tribute -- naming its first hypersonic missile, which will travel at a speed of 8,575 kmph, after the late president APJ Abdul Kalam.

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A cruise missile capable of taking out hardened targets such as underground bunkers and weapon storage facilities at seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7), BrahMos-II (K) is being developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace. The K in it is for Kalam, the man who fired India’s missile and nuclear programme.

“Kalam is the reason we are standing on the threshold of a new era of hypersonic weapons. That’s why BrahMos-II is being named after him,” BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Mishra told HT.

Their sheer speed makes hypersonic weapons, designed to fly at least Mach 5 (6,125 kmph), difficult to intercept and packs them with destructive power. The US, Russia and China are the only other countries working on these weapon systems.

Six weeks before Kalam died on July 27, he asked BrahMos Aerospace to press the accelerator on hypersonic weapons technology and help India field an operational missile in three to five years.

“We have a two-pronged approach to exploit the hypersonic realm – upgrading the existing BrahMos engine to achieve Mach 5+ speed in three to five years and simultaneously working on a pure hypersonic engine to breach Mach 7 in five-seven years,” Mishra said.

The existing BrahMos missile provides India the capability to hit targets 290km away at nearly three times the speed of sound. It’s the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile.

The 1998 inter-governmental agreement with Russia to build these missiles bears Kalam’s signature, who was then heading the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Kalam visited the BrahMos Delhi headquarters on June 13 to mark the missile’s first test flight in 2001 and spoke at length about hypersonic capabilities.

The headquarters’ Mission of Life museum, dedicated to arguably the country’s most loved president, mirrors his extraordinary relationship with BrahMos.

It captures his journey from a boy in a remote Tamil Nadu village to People’s President told through memorabilia donated by Kalam.

On display is the Bharat Ratna he was presented in 1997 for his contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of defence technology in India.

Two Padmas share the space with the flight suit that Kalam wore during his now famous Sukhoi-30 sortie. An entire wall of sketches and caricatures presented to him by school children perhaps captures the rocket-scientist president’s life the best – that of People’s President and ardent nationalist.

India's tribute to Missile Man: New BrahMos gets Kalam name