Indian Missile Programs to Self-Reliance (Part-2)
Author: Dr V N Jha
Indian Missiles
Indian Missile Programs to Self-Reliance (Part-2)
Readers may refer to the author’s article having identical topic but Part-1 published in Dec 2022 elsewhere (refhttps://thecounterviews.com/article/indian-missile-programs-to-self-reliance). Thereafter, since 2023, DRDO has developed and tested some of the cutting-edge technologies in missiles and tested some of the previously developed missiles with some value additions. The Newly developed missiles include the followings:-
- Agni-V Kk-II, the Inter-Continental ballistic Missile
- Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile
- Submarine launched Cruise Missile
- Long Range Land Atack Cruise Missile
Any missile has numerous systems and sub-systems, many in modular forms that keeps getting upgraded. The basic functional requirements are shown in the text box below.
It is natural that Indian R&D Estts in missiles have not only applied these vital technologies to their newer missiles but even refined these technologies almost at par with the best in world. The examples of these are the development of the newer long range ICBMs, the Hypersonic missiles, the MIRVs, Hypersonic Glide Vehicles, Cruise Missiles evading enemy anti-missile defense systems and the likes of.
Newer Missile Developments
From the times of the last article published in 2022, there have been several newer missiles that have undergone satisfactory user’s trials and some even recommended to be inducted into the Armed Forces. Author admits that the R&D and Design & Development of missiles have been a continuously ongoing effort in which any newer technology that provides value additions to the previously made products, is introduces as newer versions of the products. All such newer products are mentioned below:-
Agni-V Mk-II
India joined the select club of nations possessing intermediate range ICBM when it successfully developed and tested its Agni-V having 5000–8000 Km range. It had undergone several successful user’s trials in the past, the last two being on 27 Oct 21, and in the night of 15/16 Dec 2022. It is believed that a newer version, Agni-V Mk-II has been developed having technological superiority in the forms of (a) upgraded Ring Laser Gyro based guidance and control system with redundancy, (b) compatibility with Indian NavIC, © incorporating 10–12 MIRVs in the payloads each carrying 500 kgs of warheads / decoy(s) with (d) Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV) capable of achieving a terminal velocity ranging from 6 to 20 Mac. This version can be used for surface burst as well as Bunker-busters of 80–100m depth that was lacking during ‘Op Sindoor’. It was not surprising therefore, that while the testing of this Mk-II variant off Orissa coast esp for its MIRV functions and spread spans of the HGVs on 8th May 2026 didn’t receive much media hypes to avoid ringing alarm-bells for potential enemies, another successful trial of the Scramjet Hypersonic Engine inside the test lab on the next day received a wide publicity.In this test, a run-time of over 1,200 seconds was achieved at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility in Hyderabad on May 09, 2026, building upon the earlier successful test of over 700 seconds conducted in January 2026. This advanced engine could potentially power most, if not all future long-range missiles with vastly enhanced payload carrying capacities.
Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile
Indian quest for dominance in the Oceans surrounding the Indian peninsula received a boost on 14 Nov 2024 when a Long Range Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile (LR-HAsM) was tested and tried out off Orissa coast. The range of the missile got further boost by enhancing its range to 1500 km with multiple payloads carrying capacity, precision target acquisition, Radar avoiding trajectory and continuously changing path, making it highly improbable to be intercepted by any of the missile defense systems. This missile was successfully tested on 3rd May 2026 from a ground-based launch platform.
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It also has another variant launched by airborne helicopters tested and tried out one-after-another in quick succession of 4–8 seconds. This has been named as Short Range Naval Anti-Ship Missile (NASH-SR) that has a range of 1000 km that could be enhanced to 1500 km in its next version. Since it is mounted to an aerial platform, the radius of Op Effectiveness of the missile adds on to the radius of operations of the craft. It will nearly cover most of the Indian ocean as well as the Arabian Sea safeguarding Malacca Strait to the Gulf of Aden. Fired one-after-another, this hypersonic air to surface glide missile makes the ‘target escape’ highly improbable.
Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM)
Water-surface or Warship launched cruise missiles have already been in the Indian arsenals for some time.Till now, these cruise missiles were either of Nirbhaya technology based subsonic or Brahmos technology based supersonic, to hit targets either on water surface or land. On 18 Oct 20 INS Chennai (a destroyer) carried out user’s trial of the modified Brahmos missile to destroy enemy targets on the (water) surface with pinpoint accuracy at 280 km. The SLCM in question is largely based on Brahmos technologies BUT with enhanced performance. This missile travels at 2.8 Mach speed and defies many of the air defense systems. However, launching these missiles from submerged platforms such as Submarines, have many intricacies of first being fired thru’ Torpedo tube / pontoons, coming out in air sufficiently above the water surface and then igniting to head on to its course.
The technologies and integrations are undergoing upgradations. In the recent efforts, the SLCM has been integrated and tried out successfully from INS Kalvari in Feb 2023 and Nov 2024. It is also being integrated into INS Arihant class of submarines making it a force-multiplier. The present SLCM can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads presently from 500 km to 1500 km range, likely to be enhanced in future. The augmented range cruise missile is based on Nirbhaya missile technologies with some basic modifications to suit the underwater launch platforms.
Long Range Land Atack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM)
Traditionally, a long-range cruise missile provides sufficient time to the adversaries to detect it and launch countermeasures. This can be overcome with stealth frame hardware, a extremely high hypersonic speed, a trajectorial change guidance & navigation or an extremely low flying capabilities. Nirbhaya, a sub-sonic 1000 km range missile developed by ADE, DRDO adopted the last option.
There was a need to extend the range and its survivability during flight. Many system upgrades have been provided thru’ longer endurance of the propulsion in the form of using a Small Turbo-Fan ‘Manik Engine’ with range extended to 1500–2000 km. Its capability to evade detection by enemy radar has been augmented thru’ an advanced ‘terrain hugging’ guidance system, improved Radio Frequency (RF) seekers and adopting a complex and changing flight trajectory thru’ Way-point navigation that makes its interception by the enemy Air Defense systems extremely difficult even if detected by their Radars.The new advanced LR-LACM was subjected to user trials on 12 Nov 2024. The missile may need further trials to finetune its performance and integrating it to aircraft for launch from aerial platforms.
Value Additions and Upgradations in Other Missiles
Missiles for Ground Attacks
Brahmos Missile has been undergoing upgradations to make the missile lighter, augment its range from 400 to 900 km and increase the indigenous contents. The lighter missiles will enable two of them to be mounted on a single SU-30 MKI. This version has also been named as Next Gen Brahmos (NG). Upgrades on the guidance system software has made its target acquisition absolute precise.
Agni Prime Missile, an upgrade on Agni II & III has undergone sea changes. It was the first one in Agni series to have been incorporated with Multiple Independently Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) in the warhead section making it a lethal area weapon. It also has been provided with an effective counter against enemy Missile Defense Systems (MDS). With all these upgrades, the missile was successfully tested once again on 7 Jun 2023, meeting all trial objectives. It has apparently been cleared for induction in service.
Rudram Anti-Radiation Air-to-Surface Missile has been developed by DRDO essentially to replace imported Kh-31 series. Both are BVR missiles presently in two versions, Mk-I with 100 km and Mk-II with 200 km ranges. Mk-I had undergone user trial in Oct 2020 and accepted for induction in service. Mk-II has many upgrades like being Hypersonic (5.5 Mac), augmented range of 300 km, both active and passive incl IR homing to the target. It has undergone a satisfactory user trial from aerial platform SU-30 MKI on 27 Jul 2023 and 29 May 2024 meeting all trial objectives and reportedly accepted for induction in service with mass productions.
Nirbhaya S2S Cruise Missile has been provided value addition with Manik Turbofan indigenous engine which is both lighter and more efficient than the imported engine. It is believed that the missile guidance system has also been upgraded for very low flying to evade enemy radars. The upgraded missile was subjected to user’s trial on 18 Apr 2024 meeting all trial objectives and accepted for induction in service.
Missiles for Air Defense
Akash Surface to Air Missile (also having a nickname of Medium Range Surface to air Missile (MR-SAM) used for Air Defense was inducted in IAF in 2015. Initially, some maintenance problems were observed that were subsequently resolved. Even the missile hardware and software have undergone upgradation with dual controls, RF seeking sensors, countermeasures against jammers and Thrust Vector Controls. A single launcher can fire upto 4 missiles simultaneously, all engaging targets to destroy them. The last trial was carried out successfully on 8 Feb 2023. These value additions have been incorporated in the present production models. In its present avtar validated in ‘Op Sindoor,’ it is a highly lethal Air Defense Missile against any of the enemy aerial threats. It can even intercept a cruise missile.
Quick Reaction Surface to Air (QR-SAM) Missile to protect the High-Value Army Assets on Move, was first tried and accepted by the users following Apr 2023 trials. This missile continuously scans airspace for any enemy threat and if spotted, it can halt for few seconds to neutralize the targets and proceed on. It has an on-move Command-post Veh with Radar (esp low-looking)and launchers.
The Bottom-lines
The bottom-lines of the indigenous missile developments in India has been prioritized esp after the Galwan incident in Jun 2020 when DRDO showcased a long list of missiles by completing the pending tests and trials and some even inducting into the arsenals of the Armed Forces. Many of the missiles have been provided with the triad of launches from all three platforms Ground, Air and Sea. It is especially noteworthy that DRDO has progressed further in both upgrading its technologies and weapons that can put its adversaries and enemies in spots of bother & anxieties if not submissions. As of now, the Strategic Forces of Indian Armed Forces looks formidable with the induction of the missiles shown below.
