Defence Technology: India’s Strategic Initiatives, Missile System, & Modernization Efforts

Defence Technology: India’s Strategic Initiatives, Missile System, & Modernization Efforts #

• DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• Established in 1958.

• It is a ‘not for profit’ company registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
• Its two founding members are Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) & Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) – Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

• Solid fuel used, mostly aluminum powder.
• Can be easily stored.
• Reach high speed quickly.

• Liquid fuel used, i.e., hydrocarbons.
• Storage is difficult and complex.
• Can be controlled easily.

• No turbines
• Fuel injected and ignited.
• Cannot propel aerial vehicles to supersonic speeds.
• It is a type of air breathing engine.
• The combustion chamber – where the air is mixed with fuel and ignited – only works at subsonic speeds. So, the intake slows the air down, releasing some of its energy as a shock wave, but this reduces fuel efficiency.

• Supersonic combustion ramjet.
• Combustion at supersonic velocities.
• Hydrogen fuel used.
• It is a type of air breathing engine.
• India is the fourth country apart from USA, Russia and ESA to demonstrate this technology.
• The combustion chamber is specially designed to operate with supersonic airflow.

• Liquified gasses at very low temp. e.g. Liquid hydrogen.
• Need insulated containers and vents.
• No air intake is required.
• India is the sixth country apart from the USA, Russia, France, Japan, China to have this technology.

1. Short range ballistic missile (SRBM)- 300 to 1000 KM

2. Medium range (MRBM)- 1000-3500 KM

3. Intermediate range (IRBM)- 3500-5500 KM

4. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)- 5500 KM

1. Hypersonic (Mach 5): speed is five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).

2. Supersonic (Mach 2-3): speed is faster than the speed of sound.

3. Subsonic (Mach 0.8): speed is slower than the speed of sound.

• It is an intercontinental surface-to-surface, nuclear capable ballistic missile developed by DRDO.
• At present, US, China, Russia, UK, France and Israel are known to have ICBMs.
• It has been equipped with very high accuracy.
• Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and Micro Navigation System (MINS).

• Tactical surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile.
• First missile developed under IGMDP in 1983.
• Uses either liquid or both liquid and solid fuels and are capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear warhead.
• Prithvi I- Army version-150 km range
• Prithvi II- Air force version-350 km range
• Prithvi III- Naval version-600 km range

• Short range surface-to-air missile for Indian Navy used for Immediate combat action.
• Range – 9km.
• Currently not in service.

• Anti-tank missile.
• Range – 4km.
• 3rd generation ‘fire and forget’ guided missile where the target is identified and designated before the weapon is launched.
• It is an all-weather condition with day and night capabilities.
• Launched from land and air-based platforms.

• Group of 4 medium range surface-to-air missiles with a radar called Rajendra.
• Multi-target engagement capacity. Radar detects incoming objects and missiles are fired.
• Range – 30 km. Altitudes up to 18000 m.
• Already in use.

• Astra is an all-weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
• Range – 80km.
• Payload capacity: 15 kg.
• First indigenously developed missile of India
• Uses solid fuel ducted Ramjet and has BVRAAM (beyond visual range air-to-air missile) technology.
• Can destroy enemy aircrafts at supersonic speed.

• solid-fuel, surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile
• Range – 150 km.
• Payload capacity – 200 to 500kg.

• solid fuel surface-to-surface tactical missile.
• Payload – 1 tonne and has a range of 350 km.

• NIRBHAY is India’s first indigenous Long Range, all-weather, Subsonic Cruise Missile,
• It can carry a warhead of 200 kg to 300 kg at a speed of 0.6 to 0.7 Mach with a launch weight of about 1500 kg.
• It can avoid detection as it has the ability to cruise at heights as low as 100 m.
• Can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.
• Two-stage missile powered by Solid rocket motor booster.
• Range of 1000 km.

• Sea-to-sea/surface short range ballistic missile.
• Range – 350 km.
• Capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

• BRAHMOS is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and the NPOM of Russia.
• Named after the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).
• Two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in second) air-to-surface missile.
• Range – around 300 km.
• Speed – Mach 2.8
• India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has extended the range of the BRAHMOS missile to reach 450 km-600km.
• Can be launched from land, air, and sea and multi capability missile with pinpoint accuracy that works in both day and night irrespective of the weather conditions.
• Operates on the “Fire and Forgets” principle.
• One of the fastest cruise missiles currently operationally deployed.
• Lower target dispersion and quicker engagement.
• Low radar signature.

• Indigenous multi-barrel rocket launch system, for the Indian Army by DRDO
• The navigation system – aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
• Range is more than 70 km.

• It is the first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country.
• Range of up to 200 km depending upon the launch conditions.
• can be launched from altitudes of 500 m to 15 km and speeds of 0.6 to 2 mach.
• can locate and target any radiation-emitting source like enemy radars, communication sites and other Radio Frequency (RF) emitting targets.

MISSION SHAKTI

• To develop highly potent Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT).
• It is a joint programme of DRDO and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Anti-satellite (ASAT) System is a missile-based system to attack moving satellites.
• ASAT propels India to the coveted space-superpower league.
• India will now have the power to decimate satellites for pure military and strategic purposes.
• India will have the capability to interfere with satellites or engage in direct attacks.
• ASAT missiles can be air, sea or land based.
• Can also help in creating nuclear missile deterrence.
• In March 2019, India successfully tested its ASAT missile.
• joining a select group of nations – USA, Russia and China with a similar technology.
• India used the Kinetic Kill space technology.
• The ASAT missile destroyed a live satellite in Low Earth orbit (283-kilometer).
• As per DRDO, the missile is capable of shooting down targets moving at a speed of 10 km per second at an altitude as high as 1200 km.

• Gets energy from a nuclear reactor so it can stay submerged in water for months.
• Difficult for the enemy to detect.
• Can float near territorial waters of enemy nations.
• Provide excellent second-striking capability
• SSN: submersible ship nuclear-powered-specifically designed for attacking and sinking other submarines/ships. Generally, do not carry long range missiles.
• SSBN: submersible ship Ballistic Nuclear-Powered-have the capability to deploy submarine launched ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

• Come on waterbody surface after regular intervals because burning of diesel needs oxygen
• Easy for enemy to detect
• Can’t float near territorial waters of enemy nation
• Don’t possess that advantage

• Generally small submarines designed for specific tasks, which include attack on the enemy in combat.
• It uses torpedoes and other small range missiles.
• These submarines have limited range and need to come out of the water after some time.

• Bigger in size and are more destructive for the enemy.
• It is used as a launch platform for ballistic or long-range missiles.
• These can carry nuclear warheads.
• These submarines are nuclear powered submarines. As a result, they have almost unlimited range because of the availability of unlimited power supply.
• These can remain underwater for months and can travel up to thousand miles.

INS Arigha

INS Shankush

INS Shalki

INS Shankul

India

INS Khanderi

India

INS Sindhudhvaj

INS Sindhuraj

INS Sindhuratna

INS Sindhukesari

INS Sindhukirti

INS Sindhuvijay

INS Sindhurashtra

• Part of a 30-year submarine building plan from 2007 up to 2030.
• This project envisages the construction of six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP)- Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, Vagir and Vagsheer.

• Under this 4 Anti-Submarine Warships have to be built indigenously in India.
• Four corvettes- INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti.
• The warships are named after the islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago.

• Involves the building of seven stealth frigates.

This Defence Technology initiative aims to promote innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries (which includes MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia)with funding and other support to carry out Research & Development.

It will be funded and managed by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) and will function as the executive arm of DIO.

otherwise – Min 60%

• A Chemical Weapon in Defence Technology is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall under this definition.

• CWC is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time.
• It is implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
• Three states have neither signed nor ratified the convention are Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan.

• Headquarter-Hague, Netherlands.
• OPCW was established by the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1997 to implement and enforce the terms of the non-proliferation treaty.
• It is authorized to perform inspections, perform testing of sites and victims of suspected chemical weapons attacks to verify that signatory states are complying with the convention.
• OPCW won the 2013 Nobel peace prize.

• India ratified the CWC in 1996.
• As a state party to the CWC India enacted the Chemical Weapons Convention Act in 2000.
• National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) has been established under the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000 for implementing the provisions of the Convention

• Chlorine gas – Choking agent
• Sarin gas – Nerve agent.
• Novichok -Nerve Agent- 5-8 times more lethal than VX nerve agent.
• Cyanide- Blood Agent
• Phosgene, Sulphur Mustard- Blister agents
• VX- very persistent once in the atmosphere, it is slow to evaporate, and thus tends to cause prolonged exposure.