Indian Missile News And Discussion

[Arun_S]

Quoting in full, highlighting portions of significance and new data.



[size="4"][url="http://business-standard.com/india/news/agni-5-to-fly-halfway-to-antarctica/451876/"]Agni-5 to fly halfway to Antarctica[/url][/size]

Ajai Shukla / New Delhi October 08, 2011, 0:29 IST

After three successful ballistic missile tests during the past fortnight, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) is finalising preparations for the big one. In December, the giant Agni-5 missile will blast off from Wheeler Island, on the Orissa coast, travelling its full range of 5,000 km to a target in the southern Indian Ocean.



Agni-5 is debuting with a full-range test for two reasons. First, so that there is no question about how far it can strike. Second, to test not just the missile, but also whether the DRDO’s monitoring networks can cope with such enormous ranges, tracking the Agni-5 every moment en route to a target 5,000 km away. This will involve transporting a DRDO team and its tracking equipment on Indian Navy warships deep into the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean.





"The Agni-5 missile will travel halfway to Antarctica. The missile’s designers are certain (about the range) but we will demonstrate it for the users,” says Avinash Chander, chief controller for missiles and strategic systems at DRDO. As director of the Hyderabad-based Advanced Systems Laboratory, he oversaw much of Agni-5’s development. Talking exclusively to Business Standard, he describes how the three-stage, 50-tonne, 17.5-metre high missile will be powered off the Wheeler Island launch pad by its giant first stage; within minutes, it will be in space, powered by a new, all-composite second stage. After heading southwards for 2,000 km, will cross the equator. Then, it will hurtle through space for another 3,000 km or so, re-entering the atmosphere over the Tropic of Capricorn and splashing down at the target somewhere between the southern tip of Africa and Australia.



Following international practice, the DRDO will issue advisories before the test, giving out the launch window and warning shipping and air traffic to stay clear of the target area.



Explains Chander: “No Indian missile has ever travelled so far, except for Isro rockets. But those remain in space and there is no requirement to monitor their re-entry. Besides, space is a collaborative environment, with establishments worldwide cooperating in tracking a rocket. For the Agni-5, we have to develop a network of tracking systems, which will do the job out to 5,000 km and beyond. And, our ships will have to be at the target area to collect the data.”



While the Indian Navy had declined to officially comment, senior sources confirm one of their Offshore Patrol Vessels would position itself at the target end, with a DRDO team on board, equipped with tracking and communications equipment.



The DRDO predicts a highly accurate missile, which will strike within a few hundred metres of the designated target, even after travelling 5,000 km. This would allow the operational version of the Agni-5 to carry a smaller nuclear warhead. “Megaton warheads were used when accuracies were low. Now we talk of (accuracy of) a few hundred metres. [size="3"]That allows a smaller warhead, perhaps 150-250 kilotons, to cause substantial damage[/size]. We don’t want to cause wanton damage (with megaton warheads),” says Chander.



EFFECT, FEATURES

The Agni-5’s 5,000-km range, say nuclear strategists, is carefully calibrated. It can reach targets across the globe, except for America and Australia. This prevents alarm bells from going off in friendly capitals, while establishing and strengthening nuclear deterrence against all possible enemies.



“Agni-5 will take us to the 5,000-km plus class of missile systems, which meets all our threat requirements,” said V K Saraswat, the DRDO chief, at a public function recently.



The range keeps it just in the class of intermediate range ballistic missiles, whose range is 3,000-5,500 km. DRDO sources indicate the Agni-5 could easily be ramped up into an intercontinental ballistic missile, having a range greater than 5500 km.



Agni-5 is similar in size and weight to its predecessor, the Agni-3, with a range of 3,500 km. The extensive use of composite materials allows Agni-5 to propel a warhead 1,500 km further. While the first stage remains unchanged from Agni-3, the second stage is significantly lighter, made of composites. This has allowed a third stage, also composite, to be fitted, extending the range.



Engineering the third stage was a major technology challenge. “[size="3"]The third stage, which slopes into the warhead stage, has a conical motor[/size]. So far, we have only been doing cylindrical motors, never a shaped motor,” explains Chander.



Another distinctive feature is its ‘canisterisation’. Hermetically sealed into an airtight canister that is mounted on a flatbed truck, the missile can be easily transported and fired quickly, by hydraulically raising the canister into the vertical firing position. Made from high-strength maraging steel, the canister must absorb enormous stresses during firing, when a thrust of 300-400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50-tonne missile The canister also provides a hermitically sealed atmosphere, in which the missile is stored safely for years.

Avinash Chandra for the first time mentions warhead yield of 150-250 kT. (Slap in the face of psudo-startegic fools of BR who thought India test at PoK-II for a weapon design of 150-200 kT was imgainations of dreaming uber-hawk extreamists in strategic think tank circle).



Notice the second stage is changed from Maraging steel to Composites. And the 3rd stage is conical in shape to factor in transition from 2m to MaRV/payload.

In my earlier analysis I had seen the A-3 nose cone not being compatible with useful RV and figured that it will carry a small upper stage. Just that noe Shri Chandra has confirmed that the stage is shaped to completely utilize teh available volume.

[Arun_S]

[quote name='sumishi' date='08 October 2011 - 05:28 PM' timestamp='1318074651' post='113219']

[size="3"][url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/todays-newspaper/11724-with-russian-help-india-to-join-icbm-big-league-soon.html"]With Russian help, India to join ICBM big league soon[/url] : The Pioneer, 08 October 2011

[/size][/quote]



[quote name='Bharat_2009' date='08 October 2011 - 08:52 PM' timestamp='1318086885' post='113220']

Russian seeker technology ??? is this article some kind of joke???

[/quote]



ICBM and IRBM missiles are almost always tipped with nukes; Target seeker technology is only useful where one is trying to hit a small or moving target with a conventional bomb whose radius of destruction is few meters or at most few tens of meter.



Nukes have many hundred meters if not Kilometer of radius of destruction.



What matters in long range missiles is a good Navigation system, lacking which one would do sensor fusion to get navigation correction.



Recent Shourya test over bland sea range with accuracy of few meters speaks of accuracy of Indian missile navigation system (read INS or INS+Radio Nav system) with out any seeker capability (recall sea surface does not lend itself to any seeker technology).



Prior Agni test test have also yielded similar accuracy verifications. I believe the turning point was realization of Ring Gyro (the heart of Inertial Platform and IMU). Fuzing it with stellar navigation or ground based Radio Nav aid sealed the targeting spatial position accuracy to few meters.



If at all this article is talking of any seeker that might be useful in Long range missiles it might be optical sensors for star fixing in stellar navigation.

[sumishi]

[size="3"][font="Courier New"]^^

Thanks for clarifying the report, Arun ji.



BTW, I read through your article [url="http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/SRR/Volume13/sanjay.html"]Evaluating India's Land Based Missile Deterrent[/url]. It was a definite crash course on the state of Indian missile technology. That apart, three of my important takeaways were:



(1) "...many skeptical analysts had a tendency to downplay India’s abilities in the missile field. It is unfortunate that these tendencies still continue, in some Western circles at any rate to this day, in spite of evidence to the contrary,"



(2) "No missile actually needs to be tested to full range. It is possible to lift or depress the trajectory of the missile to simulate a longer range"



(3) "The Agni is unlike long-range missiles developed by western countries, where the RV is purely a passive ballistic load whose accuracy depends on the launching vehicle’s exact insertion into the desired sub-orbital trajectory ... Agni-RV Mk-2 is more advanced than western RVs, for it embodies propulsion, navigation and control all the way to the target."



What is the latest on the Agni Terminal Guidance System vis-vis the Chinese/Korean system used by Pakistan?

[/size][/font]

[Arun_S]

U are welcome saar.



[quote name='sumishi' date='09 October 2011 - 09:31 AM' timestamp='1318132389' post='113227']

[size="3"]

(2) "No missile actually needs to be tested to full range. It is possible to lift or depress the trajectory of the missile to simulate a longer range"[/quote]



[size="2"]The first part is correct as long it is applied to ballistic missiles. Does not apply to missiles that can fly quasi ballistic trajectory.[/size][/size] [size="3"][size="2"]It is possible to lift or depress the trajectory of the missile to simulate a shorter range, however knowing the actual flight time (or better still the burn out velocity) one can quite accurately determine its minimum energy trajectory (corresponding to maximum range).



In case of Agni-2/3 missile tests the flight time does not fit ballistic flight equations because the RV's do Ballistic Glide.[/size] [/size][size="2"]The reason India publishes the apogee and flight duration time for test flights is to tell the technical analysts (in countries that matter), that Agni-2/3 did not fly conventional ballistic trajectory expected of conventional ballistic missiles. [/size]

[Arun_S]

Lifafa journalism at its best, fellow is peddling a missile without naming it.



BTW the Chief of Royal Air Force was recently pedaling this missile (TAURUS KEPD 350) to IAF couple of weeks days ago. He was then confronted with the fact that it had a Williams P8300 engine that is prime candidate for Unkill to embargo at a momemts notice, the royal AF chief went pale as if hit with a tonne of bricks.



I wish I had time to write a counter point article on Hindu.



Can someone take the gauntlet and put this ret(i)ard to mat?



[size="4"][color="blue"] [url="http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/op/2007/05/06/stories/2007050600021600.htm"]Does India need this expensive missile? (HINDU)[/url][/color][/size]

MAJ-GEN (RETD) JATINDER SINGH



TWO CRUISE missiles, "Babur" and "BrahMos," being manufactured by Pakistan and India, raise the pitch of debate with a generous helping of hyperbole by various government agencies through a reasonably clueless media. Pakistan on March 22, 2007 successfully test fired its radar-avoiding nuclear-capable cruise missile "Babur" (HATF VII) which has a range of 700 km.



India followed with its 14th test flight of the BrahMos on April 22 and the media, including The Hindu, gave it front page coverage with special emphasis on the aspect of manoeuvring by the missile in its terminal stage. The media is not aware of certain basic issues pertaining to cruise missiles namely, what purpose does an expensive (common military sense suggests a price not less than double-digit crores) missile like BrahMos serve for the Army and the Air force.



What is the purpose served by delivering a TNT tonnage of a measly 300 kg on mostly static targets and that too to a distance of maximum 300 km when alternatives are available at one-tenth the cost? That amount of TNT if used on a static target with a CEP [circular error probable] of even 10 metres would cause negligible damage resulting in a waste of crores of rupees; terminal stage manoeuvring has no relevance where missile defence is non-existent.



Cruise missiles fly past any missile defence; India and Pakistan will not have a credible BMD (ballistic missile defence) in place for years (actually decades) to come. Even when/if available on a reduced scale considering the number of high value targets spread over a vast area, the defence will be perfunctory.



Using cruise missiles to deliver nuclear bombs in the South Asian context is stretching things too far considering that the target coordinates and cruise missile mid course guidance will be dependent on use of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)/GLONASS data; data which can be switched off/accuracy altered resulting in inaccuracies and nightmarish situations specially when the missile is supersonic like the BrahMos.



In view of this, can we ask ourselves as to what do we do with this `boys' toy' when we can have much cheaper and better accuracy methods of using other weapon systems to carry out the same tasks?



A number of new long-range air to ground missiles/bombs with precision accuracy can bolster the capabilities. These "launch and leave" weapons can fly at high subsonic speeds to pre-set target coordinates on their own using mid course guidance updates from either GPS/radar and then on autonomous terminal seeker to home in on a specific aim point on a target structure.



Aircraft launching these munitions are well beyond the reach of enemy air defence systems. Non-stealth aircraft need not be accompanied by extensive packages of SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defence) support aircraft. A typical Air To Surface Stand Off Missile (ASSM) could have a range in excess of 350 km with an overall missile weight of nearly 1,000 kg and a warhead of 500 kg plus at a cost of maybe Rs. 1-2 crores.



The missile could have a terminal seeker of Imaging Infra Red (IIR) which would recognise the target from pre-sorted target wire frame image, even in sand, snow or foliage. The seeker guides the missile to a specific aim point on the target.



Pakistan seems to be reasonably clear that if it has to consolidate its strategic capability it can best do so by going in for the option of enhancing its missile capability as a counter to India's increasing superiority in airpower. India needs to ponder whether it should get into a missile race with Pakistan or utilise that portion of capital expenditure in increasing its air delivered weapons which would result in better accuracy and increased quantity.

[Arun_S]

[url="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2615949.ece?css=print"]Agni II Prime to be tested again[/url]

November 11, 2011 03:02 IST | Updated: November 11, 2011 03:47 IST

T. S. Subramanian Missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are reaching Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa for the launch of India's Agni II Prime missile on November 15. The missile will take off from a specially designed truck and, if the flight is successful, it will target an area 3,000 km away in the Bay of Bengal.



The missile engineers are looking forward to the Agni II Prime launch after the successful flights of Shourya, Prithivi-II and Agni-II missiles in the last week of September this year.



However, they are keeping their fingers crossed because the maiden flight of Agni-II Prime in December 2010 had failed. The flight ended abruptly after a problem in the control system of the first stage of the missile, which occurred during the lift-off.





No change

There is no change in the configuration of the Agni II Prime to be launched on November 15 and the missile that failed last December.



The missile engineers said: “We had a problem last time. We have identified the problem and taken precautions to stabilise the whole system. We have introduced a lot of redundancies to take care of the anomalies that may occur during the flight,” they added.



Agni-II Prime is a two-stage surface-to-surface missile that aims at filling the gap in the ranges between Agni-II and Agni-III. While Agni-II can take out targets 2,000 km away, Agni-III can travel a distance of 3,000 km to 3,500 km.



All the three are strategic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. But test flights like these carry conventional explosives. Agni-II Prime is 20 metres long and weighs 17 tonnes. This time it will carry a warhead weighing 800 kg instead of the normal 1,000 kg. “We are aiming to go for range of 3,000 km this time,” a DRDO official said. The Advanced Missile Laboratory, Hyderabad, has designed and developed the missile.



The DRDO has also developed the Agni-V, the most powerful missile in India's arsenal. Agni-V, which will carry a nuclear warhead, can aim at places 5,000 km away. The motors of its three stages have undergone successful tests at a facility at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. Its maiden flight may take place in December 2011 or January/February 2012.

[Arun_S]

.

[Arun_S]

This pdf is a treasure trove for careful readers.

[url="http://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/dss/2010/dss2010.pdf"]DRDO SCIENCE SPECTRUM - 2010[/url]



In particular:

[url="http://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/dss/2010/dss2010.pdf"]Concepts and Modelling of Deterrence for Strategic Thinking - Page 263[/url]

N. K. Jain, Institute for Systems Studies and Analyses, Delhi–110 054



Also here is another one on teh same document:



[url="http://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/dss/2010/dss2010.pdf"]Successful Demonstration of Design, Development and Testing of Scramjet Combustor for HSTDV Mission of 20 s Duration

C. Chandrasekhar, Defence Research & Development Laboratory, Hyderabad-500 047[/url]

... .. .. . .

Static Testing and Performance Analysis of Scramjet Combustor for 20 s Duration

Successfully demonstrated sustained supersonic combustion of kerosene fuel in the Mach 2 vitiated air flow in the strut based scramjet combustor in the connect-pipe mode test facility using ejector system (i.e., to generate low pressure at the exit of the scramjet combustor) for 20 s test duration. Wall static pressure distribution along the length of the combustor for reacting flow with ejector operation is shown in Fig. 15. The computed thrust obtained is 484 kgf, which is meeting the HSTDV mission requirement.



The most important aspect of this test has been the survivability of the struts after 20 s duration of the test especially Stage-II fuel injection struts. Apart from achieving desired thrust the other important performance measure of success is to achieve steady mass flow rate of kerosene injection from the struts into the combustor for 20 s test duration.

... . .. . . .



1. Designed and developed the scramjet combustor for the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).



2. Addressed the issues of fabrication to realize the fuel injection struts using Niobium C-103 alloy material and Tungsten alloy material.



3. Established the vitiated air–heater to produce high enthalpy air at 2000 K total temperature and 5 bar total pressure; the flow rate of vitiated air being 4.2 kg/s. This is the workhorse for all combustor tests at DRDL.



4. Successfully carried out 18 static tests of the strut based scramjet combustor, the results of which lead to gaining confidence in the indigenous development of scramjet combustor. The auto-ignition and sustained supersonic combustion have been proved in the connectpipe mode of static tests.



5. Successfully demonstrated sustained supersonic combustion of kerosene fuel in the Mach 2 vitiated air flow in the strut based scramjet combustor in the connect-pipe mode test facility using ejector system (i.e. to generate low pressure at the exit of the scramjet combustor) for 20 s test duration.

484 Kgf and flow rate of 4.2 Kg/s means engine ISP of around 800 to 1,000.

[Arun_S]

[url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/India-to-test-fire-sub-sonic-cruise-missile-Nirbhay-next-year/articleshow/10715373.cms"]India to test fire sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay next year [/url][size="2"]

Sunday, Nov 13, 2011, 14:20 IST

Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI [/size]

[size="3"]

Looking to add more lethal firepower to its arsenal, India is planning to test fire its latest 1000-km range sub-sonic land attack cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ early next year.



Nirbhay will be a terrain hugging, stealthy missile capable of delivering multiple warheads as per mission requirements.



"We are looking to test-fire the new sub-sonic cruise missile in the first quarter of 2012. The Nirbhay will be a new state-of-the-art missile," DRDO officials told PTI here.



With its range of 1,000 Km, the missile has longer reach than Pakistan's Hatf-7 Babur missile, which claims to have a range of 700 km.



The missile is being developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory under the DRDO.



Sources said the missile will be sleeker than other similar weapon systems that are operational with different countries.



The Nirbhay will be India's second cruise missile after the 300 km range BrahMos, which is a supersonic system. The missile can be launched from multiple launchers and will be inducted into all the three services.

The missile of this class will almost certainly use 230 Kgf small turbine engine (SFC 1.1 Kg, Dia 340 cm, Length 670 cm)



Contrast that with 400 Kgf Laghu Turbo engine, or PTAE-7.



BTW: [/size]PTAE-7 develops a thrust of 380 kg.f at ISA sea level static conditions with a specific fuel consumption of 1.15 kg./kg.f/hr. It has a length of 1,270 mm. and a maximum diameter of 330 mm., and weighs 65 kg

[Arun_S]

Agni 2 prime, which has now been renamed as Agni-IV

[url="http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/n-capable-agni-ii-prime-successfully-test-fired_741893.html"]Agni IV successfully test fired[/url]

November 15, 2011 10:26 IST | Updated: November 15, 2011 10:26 IST

Y. MallikarjunT. S. Subramanian Giving a boost to India's strategic defence preparedness, missile technologists successfully test-fired the 3,000 km plus nuclear weapons capable ballistic missile, Agni 2 prime, which has now been renamed as Agni-IV, from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast on Tuesday.



The advanced surface-to-surface ballistic missile fired from a road mobile launcher zeroed in on to the pre-designated target in the Bay of Bengal with a high degree of accuracy after a flight duration of about 20 minutes.



Designed to increase the kill efficiency of the vehicle with a higher range performance, the missile was equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, including indigenously developed ring laser gryo and composite rocket motor.



The missile's payload was reduced from 1,000 kg to 800 kg to give the missile better range.



The two stage surface-to-surface missile is 20 meters-tall and weighs 17 tonnes.



All the radars, telemetry and electro-optical instruments tracked the entire flight of the missile until its splash down.



Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V.K.Saraswat, Chief Controller, Defence Research and Development Organisation (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Avinash Chander and Advanced Systems Laboratory Director Sekharan were among those present.

[Arun_S]

[url="http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_agni-ii-prime-nuclear-capable-missile-successfully-test-fired_1612695"]Agni-II Prime nuclear-capable missile successfully test-fired[/url]

[size="2"]Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011,

Place: Balasore | Agency: PTI [/size]

[size="3"] Adding teeth to its nuclear deterrence, India today successfully test-fired an advanced variant of nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile with a strike range of 3,000 km from an island off Odisha coast.



"The surface-to-surface intermediate range missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher" at 0900 hours from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from here, defence sources said.



Christened "Agni-II Prime", the new missile is a two-stage weapon system powered by solid propellant. It is 20 metres long and launch weight is 17 tonnes. It can carry one tonne pay-load.



A Defence Ministry spokesman said in Delhi that from now on, the missile will be called 'Agni-IV'.



Describing the test-firing as "successful", defence sources said the missile’s exact performances will be known after all data was collected and analysed from different telemetry and tracking stations as well as naval ships positioned near the terminal point.



"The indigenously developed new variant of 'Agni-II' series missile would have better accuracy and improved range", the sources said.



"While the Agni-II missile has a strike range of 2000 km and Agni-III can hit a target at a distance up to 3500 km, this new variant with a strike range of 3000 km would bridge the gap between Agni-II and Agni-III," they said.



In terms of accuracy, "some more improved features have been incorporated in it," a DRDO scientist said.



The first developmental trial of Agni-II Prime, conducted on December 10, 2010, had failed due to some technical problem in the control system. It deviated from its trajectory within seconds of its lift off from the same base and had plunged into the sea.

[/size]

[Arun_S]

From the youtibe video

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO9GGurO6rA&feature=player_embedded"]http://youtu.be/UO9GGurO6rA[/url]



its clear that this was a Agni-2 Prime whose weight was way heavier than the older 1m diameter Agni-II missile whose all up weight was 17 tonne.



The booster of this craft is much wider and by my estimate weighing about 17 tonne (compared to 10 tonne of Agni-II), indicating an all up weight of about 24 tonne.



Fragmented news report mentioning 17 tonne weight is ostensibly for booster instead of all up weight.



From above it is clear that the missile was launched in very depressed trajectory, (eminently suitable to prove its hypersonic manuvering and gliding RV).



BTW for teh said 800 kg warhead, its maximum range is ~5,500 Km.

[Bharat_2009]

[quote name='Arun_S' date='15 November 2011 - 01:57 PM' timestamp='1321345198' post='113743']

From the youtibe video

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO9GGurO6rA&feature=player_embedded"]http://youtu.be/UO9GGurO6rA[/url]



its clear that this was a Agni-2 Prime whose weight was way heavier than the older 1m diameter Agni-II missile whose all up weight was 17 tonne.



The booster of this craft is much wider and by my estimate weighing about 17 tonne (compared to 10 tonne of Agni-II), indicating an all up weight of about 24 tonne.



Fragmented news report mentioning 17 tonne weight is ostensibly for booster instead of all up weight.



From above it is clear that the missile was launched in very depressed trajectory, (eminently suitable to prove its hypersonic manuvering and gliding RV).



BTW for teh said 800 kg warhead, its maximum range is ~5,500 Km.

[/quote]



Did they name it Agni IV to confuse western media?



Agni II prime is a Hypersonic boost glide missile, is it not?

[Arun_S]

From Shiv Aroor's YouTube video [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO9GGurO6rA&feature=player_embedded"]http://youtu.be/UO9GGurO6rA[/url]



its clear that this was a Agni-2 Prime whose weight was way heavier than the older 1m diameter Agni-II missile whose all up weight was 17 tonne.



The booster of this craft is much wider and by my estimate weighing about 17 tonne (compared to 10 tonne of Agni-II), indicating an all up weight of about 23 tonne.



Fragmented news report mentioning 17 tonne weight is ostensibly for booster instead of all up weight.



From Apogee data of 880 km that has appeared it is clear that the missile was launched in slightly depressed trajectory to make for 20 minute flight ( actual flight range > 4,000 km) . One can also clearly see from contrails that the booster had flex nozzle.



BTW for the said 800 kg warhead, its maximum range is ~4,800 Km.



There is a video on the web titled [url="http://youtu.be/AVF2kTl10fg"]Agni-IV Test Launch Trajectory Tracking Video [/url]that I consider is a engineering test and simulation tool, and not data from tracking stations. Curiously teh simulation ends at ~ 60 km altitude (that is where RV will pull fly flat into glide) <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Bharat_2009' date='15 November 2011 - 06:23 PM' timestamp='1321361136' post='113745']

Did they name it Agni IV to confuse western media?



Agni II prime is a Hypersonic boost glide missile, is it not?

[/quote]



A-4 was a odd missing hole in numbering sequence since A-5 was announced after A3. Not sure if A2-prime was indeed different from A4 (a yet another missile configuration that is yet to be unveiled).



As for the test I think the RV is "hypersonic manuvering RV"

[Bharat_2009]

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/us-arm...herstories



US Army tests weapons 5 times faster than sound



looks like US is also working on Hypersonic boost glide missiles

[Sorna]

Speaking to Express from Hyderabad over phone, G. Satheesh Reddy, Associate Director, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), said that DRDO's patience have finally paid off. “After last year's failed campaign, we got on to the basics and dissected every system that went onboard. Today, with the success of Agni-IV we have witnessed the quantum jump in the state-of-the-art technologies in missile-making. We are now steadily moving towards our inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) dream and all efforts will now go into making of Agni-V,” says Sateesh, a young DRDO brain, who got recently elevated to the 'Outstanding Scientist' status.



http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2011/11/ye...ni-iv.html

Agni-V an ICBM ? <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

[Sorna]

Arun sir, Do you have any idea on current inventory of Agni-II and production rate of Agni-III ? Is it safe to assume india currently has 100-150 Agni-II and 5-10 Agni-III ? Thanks

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Sorna' date='19 November 2011 - 05:44 AM' timestamp='1321661169' post='113786']

Arun sir, Do you have any idea on current inventory of Agni-II and production rate of Agni-III ? Is it safe to assume india currently has 100-150 Agni-II and 5-10 Agni-III ? Thanks

[/quote]



No I do not. I also think this is a guarded secret that best left that way.

[Arun_S]

[b]India working on laser weapons

[/b]

2011-11-24

 Hyderabad, Nov 24 (IANS)
India is doing a lot of work on laser weapons, particularly at the technology level, said a top defence scientist.



'We are trying to see how to produce high power lasers, how to get that kind of narrow beam, how to get miniaturized version of laser power device,' said V.K. Saraswat, scientific advisor to the defence minister.



He, however, said India need to graduate from physics portion to the actual portion of engineering and development.



Saraswat, who is also the Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was talking to reporters on the sidelines of 22nd annual conference of Indian Nuclear Society here Thursday evening.



He said DRDO, Atomic Energy and academic institutions like Plasma Research Laboratory and National Physical Laboratory were working together on the physics of laser.



The top scientist said while some air borne laser systems and some mobile systems were developed, a lot required to be done in terms of weapons system.



'It is a complex subject with science getting into engineering, engineering getting into technology and technology getting into product. You have to go through that cycle because nobody is going to help you in this aspect. Our own academicians, scientists and engineers have to work together,' he said.