Part - 2: Technology Race - What is India's Global Ranking in Military Missile's Technologies?

 

Part - 2: Technology Race - What is India's Global Ranking in Military Missile's Technologies?

            Missile's technologies covers a broad spectrum to include: Surface to Surface Strategic ballistic Missiles  (Multiple Independently Reentry Vehicle - MIRV; and Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle - MARV),  Short-range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile (SSBM), Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM); air to air missiles (AAM); Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM); Anti-ballistic missile (ABM), Cruise Missiles, Anti Tank Missiles (ATGMs), and Anti Satellite Missiles (A-SAT) to hit targets in space. India is also one of the four nations owning ABM and A-SAT systems.

          India, according to a New York Times report, has successfully tested hypersonic technology missile whereas the US, Russia and China have already operational hypersonic technology missiles. With AGNI-5, India features in the 7th rank of most powerful Missiles in the world 2022.  Holistically viewed, India remains a laggard in the Global Rankings in Missile Technologies, particularly behind China.

                Hypersonic weapons are of two types: hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic boost-glide vehicles. The former type is powered by rockets or jets throughout their flight and is a much swifter version of existing cruise missiles. The latter type is launched into the upper atmosphere on top of existing ballistic missiles, and then releases hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) which fly lower, faster, and, to an enemy, quite unpredictably.

         China has two lethal hypersonic missiles. The first one, Dong Feng-17 (DF-17), is a medium-range missile or MRBM system equipped with an HGV. It is capable of carrying conventional or nuclear weapons and has a reported speed of Mach 5-10. With a range of 1,800-2,500km and a launch weight of 15,000kgs, the DF-17 is a nightmare for all adversaries. The second is the DF-ZF HGV that too can travel at speeds between Mach 5-10. It is apparently capable of performing “extreme maneuvers” to evade enemy defenses. The DF-17 has been designed to work specifically with the DF-ZF, exponentially amplifying both these weapons’ powers.

          Russia has three major hypersonic weapons — the Avangard, the Kinzhal, and the Zircon.

      Compared to Russia and China, the US is lagging behind in hypersonic technology.  The test involving a prototype of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), a hypersonic missile, has failed. The missile was able to successfully separate from the B-52H bomber which was carrying it, however, the rocket engine did not ignite.

            The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is responsible for research and development (R & D) of missiles of all types.  Its origin is traced to 1958 with the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organization. A separate Department of Defence R & D was formed in 1980 which later administered DRDO and its almost 30 laboratories/establishments after merger from 52 labs directly under the Ministry of Defence. DRDO strength - 5,000 scientists and 25,000 subordinate scientific, technical and supporting personnel. Rs.11,375.50 crore budget in 2021-2022.

         In 2010, DRDO was directed to carry out restructuring  to give 'a major boost to defense research and to ensure effective participation of the private sector in defense technology. The key measures to make DRDO effective in its functioning included the establishment of a Defence Technology Commission with the defense minister as its chairman. 

        In retrospect, the Comptroller and Auditor General report on the projects undertaken by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) from 2007-2017 highlighting that the lab has undertaken projects aimlessly without any focus and priority, spending money on research which has been abandoned without completion and also attributed to non-involvement of user representatives  neither in the pre-project work nor during project execution. For example, DRDO started its first major project in SAM known as Project Indigo in the 1960s. Indigo was discontinued without achieving full success. Project Indigo led to Project Devil, along with Project Valiant, to develop short-range SAM and ICBM in the 1970s. Project Devil  led to development of the Prithvi missile under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in the 1980s.

          As per news in the public domain, India domestically produces only 45% to 50% of defense products it uses, and the rest are imported. Of late, DRDO has embarked on collaboration with  industry, private sector, research and education institutes including IITs and NITs. Also, to expedite the development cycle of new technologies and to better fit the end user requirements, the army has asked DRDO to take more army staff on deputation to be part of DRDO technology development project teams.

       To understand India's present ranking, few of the highlights of transformations in Missile Technologies globally include:  

·         Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range greater than 5,500 km (3,400 mi), primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery: World War II - Germany V-2 program; Early Cold War - first successful test of R-7 by U.S.S.R followed and operational unit on 9 February 1959; 1970 fully operational ABM by U.S.S.R; 1980s USAs Strategic Defense Initiative as well as the MX programs; 2009 Russia announced RS-28 Sarmat, liquid-fueled, MIRV/MARV equipped warheads, super-heavy thermonuclear armed ICBM with a large payload up to 10 heavy warheads or 15 lighter ones or up to 24 hypersonic glide vehicles or a combination of warheads and massive amounts of countermeasures designed to defeat anti-missile systems; in early 1970s China developed DF-5 with a range of 10,000 to 12,000 km by 1975 and by 2014, China announced DF- 41, a GEN 4  solid-fuelled road-mobile missile with MIRV capability.

·         Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM) - First generation - post World War II GEN 1 (heat seeking infra red seekers with a narrow field of view that required the attacker to position himself behind the target) to GEN 4 in 1985 (wider field of view and helmet mounted sight)  and to GEN 5 post Cold War in 1990s and thereafter (advances in seeker technologies with electro-optical imaging infrared (IIR) seekers to "see" images rather than single "points" of infrared radiation (heat) sensors, greater infrared counter countermeasures (IRCCM) ability, combined with powerful digital signal processing and capability to identify smaller low flying targets such  as UAVs).

·         Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGMs) - GEN 1 early Cold War (1955 wire guided) to GEN 2 late Cold War (semi-automatically command guided to line-of-sight), to GEN 3 post Cold War ("fire-and-forget" missiles that rely on a laser, electro-optical imager (IIR) seeker or a W band radar seeker in the nose of the missile) to GEN 4 post 2000 (stand-off range of 15 to 20 km and rely on a combination of seeker for guidance) and GEN 5 post 2015-2017 (network-enabled, featuring both fire-and-forget and command guidance operating modes that integrates third party target designation for indirect firing scenarios through its lock-on after launch capability for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) use.

        Notwithstanding lack of clarity in decision making, financial constraints, import restrictions and India becoming a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime only in 27 June 2016, DRDOs progression in R & D of missile technologies  is quite significant particularly during recent times.

         Let me review and outline DRDOs achievements in the missile technology field.  Basics: Missiles are weapons that are launched from ground-based guns, ships, and aircraft into the air and explode with a large amount of explosives. India's lethal and advanced missile systems include: Surface to Surface Strategic ballistic Missiles, Short-range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile (SSBM), Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM); air to air missiles (AAM); Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM); Anti-ballistic missile (ABM), Cruise Missiles, Anti Tank Missiles (ATGMs), and Anti Satellite Missiles (A-SAT) to hit targets in space. India is also one of the four nations owning ABM and A-SAT systems.

            Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads in a ballistic attack.     The IGMDP was spearheaded by former DRDO chief in the early 1980s and former-President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam - familiarly hailed as the "Missile Man". SSBMs: Single stage Agni-I - medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with 700-1250 km range and Mach 7.5 speed; Agni-II - Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with 2,000–3,000 km range travelling at Mach 12 speed; Agni-III - IRBM with 3,000 km range and a speed of 5–6 km/s; Agni-IV -  IRBM with 4,000 km range at Mach 7 speed; and Agni-V nuclear-capable ICBM with a 5,000 km range at Mach 24 speed. Agni-VI, a four-stage ICBM capable of carrying 10  MIRV warheads and also with  Maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) capability with an extended strike range of 12,000 km, is under development.

              Short-range Tactical Surface-to-Surface Ballistic (SRBM) Missile: Prithvi series are  deployed by Strategic Forces Command - Prithvi I a  single-stage liquid-fueled surface-to-surface ballistic missile with warhead mounting capability of 1,000 kg, and a range of 150 km (93 mi); Prithvi II with 500 kg warhead  and 350 km range; solid (1st stage)-cum-liquid (2nd stage) fueled 2-stage Prithvi III with 1000 kg warhead and 350 km range, 500 kg warhead and 600 km range and 250 kg warhead and 750 km range; and Dhanush a variant of Prithvi for Navy Ship-to-Ship.

             New Shaurya missile: Nuclear capable two-stage cruise surface-to-surface medium range missile that uses solid propellant, canister launched, hypersonic (speeds of 7.5 Mach)  tactical missile with 750 to 1,900 km range. The missile is equipped with multiple advanced computing technology and high accuracy navigation, efficient propulsion, sophisticated control and guidance systems.

        BrahMos Series: Medium-range stealth ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land, already in service.  A hypersonic version of the missile, BrahMos-II, estimated to have a range of 600 km, is under development with a speed of Mach 7–8 to boost aerial fast strike capability. It was expected to be ready for testing by 2024. Next, BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) is a mini version  with 290 km range and Mach 3.5 speed but  weighing around 1.5 tons, with a length of 5 meters and a diameter of 50 cm, making BrahMos-NG 50 percent lighter and three meters shorter than its predecessor. The system is expected to be inducted in the year 2024. BrahMos-NG will have Land, Air, Ship-borne and Submarine tube-launched variants. Even plans are afoot for the UCAV variant.

                Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile:  Maximum range of 1,000 to 1500 km to destroy  target with a Mach 0.8 speed. The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.

             SLBMs:  Sagarika (K-15) with a range of 750 km designed for retaliatory nuclear strikes; and nuclear-capable K-4 Ballistic Missile (IRBN) to arm Arihant-class submarines with a range of 5,000 km.

              Age of GEN-5 AAMs: GEN-1, 2, 3 and 4 missiles became obsolete due to narrow field of view among other shortcomings.  The latest  GEN-5 short-range missiles with electro-optical imaging infrared (IIR) seekers that allow the missiles to "see" images rather than single "points" of infrared radiation (heat) and more powerful digital signal processing, greater sensitivity, greater range and ability to identify smaller low flying targets such as UAVs.   Two types include: short-range or "within visual range" missiles (SRAAMs or WVRAAMs) - infrared guidance and are called heat-seeking missiles; medium- or long-range missiles (MRAAMs or LRAAMs), which both fall under the category of beyond-visual-range missiles (BVRAAMs), tend to rely upon radar guidance. Some modern ones use inertial guidance and/or "mid-course updates" to get the missile close enough to use an active homing sensor.

             The MRAAMs or LRAAMs or BVRAAMs missiles include: all weather Astra Mk.I – Long-range radar-guided; Astra MK 2 Long-range radar-guided; Astra MK 3 Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet range of 80-110 km reaching the Mach 4.5 + speed; and Russias-100 (missile) – Inertial navigation and active radar homing range of 300–400 km with a Mach 3.3 speed. French MICA, all-weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system encompassing a range of 500 m to 80 km reaching Mach 4.

            SAMs: Trishul - Trishul missiles are short-range surface to air missiles with an operational range of 9km; Three variants of Akash Missile at various stages of development: Akash-1S, Akash Mark-II, Akash-NG with the Akash -1S can travel up to a distance of 18 to 30 km, while the Akash Mk-II and Akash-NG can travel 35 to 40 km and more than 50 km, respectively; and, Barak 8 - long-range Indo-Israeli surface to Air Barak 8 Missile can travel up to a distance of 100 km to hit the target with Mach 2 speed, i.e., twice the speed of sound or 2470 km/hr.

          Prithvi Air Defence (PAD), two-stage liquid and solid-fueled ballistic missile defense high altitude interceptor, based on the Prithvi missile. The two-stage interceptor is 10 meters tall and is said to reach a maximum altitude of 80km. Prithvi Defense Vehicle (PDV) - an exo-atmospheric interceptor missile designed to shoot down short-medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach.

         A-SAT Missile - In March 2019, India joined an exclusive club of countries that has the capability to hit a target in space as it tested the anti-satellite missile via 'Mission Shakti'.

            Anti-tank Guided Missiles (ATGM):

 

·         Amogha-1 - GEN-2 ATGM, man portable, vehicle and aircraft mounted missile with range up to 2.8km indigenously developed.

·         Nag, GEN-3, all-weather, fire and forget ATGM with range of 500m to 20km and a ten-year, maintenance-free shelf life with five variants  - a land version, for a mast-mounted system; the helicopter-launched Nag (HELINA) also known as Dhruvastra; a "man-portable" version (MPATGM); an air-launched version; and the Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA) "tank buster", which is a modified BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).

·         Spike Long Range (LR), man portable GEN 4 system which can engage targets in both Fire & Forget and Fire, Observe & Update mode, thus enhancing the operational flexibility and crew survivability besides precise engagement both during day and night and also has Top Attack capability to enhance the lethality of the missile against tank targets.

         Recently, DRDO has successfully test fired indigenously developed Laser-Guided ATGM, man-portable fire-and-forget missile or tripod or vehicle or aircraft mounted version, which relies on an electro-optical imager (IIR) seeker, a laser or a W-band radar seeker in the nose of the missile, employing High Explosive warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armor protected armor vehicles.

         Of significance is the set up of joint venture of MBDA (France), world leader in missile systems,  with Larsen & Tubro - L & T MBDA Missile Systems Limited (LTMMSL) under the Make In India initiative. LTMMSL has a clear vision regarding development and manufacture of ATGM-5 or family of weapons that matches the requirements and specifications of the Armed Forces. ATGM-5 can fired from 4 modes: Man-portable Firing Post; Wheeled or tracked infantry vehicles; APCS and Inflatable boats. Following specifications: light weight (15 kg class), State-of-the-art technologies - high precision autonomous guided missile, high resolution imaging seeker in two bands of color TV and uncoiled IR, MEMS inertial reference and unjammable, high speed fibre-optic two-way data; Two firing modes - lock on before launch and lock on after launch; Beyond the line of sight engagement capability through third party designation; Selectable trajectories - Low altitude with direct attack and High altitude with top attack; Latest generation multi-purpose tandem warhead; maintenance free missile and Automatic turret - stabilized turret, 4 ATGM 5 missiles ready to fire, remote controlled system and dedicated or multi-function console. 

        Furthermore, during the Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019, DRDO signed technology transfer contracts with 16 Indian companies, including 3 startups, to produce products. DRDO and ISRO have agreed to collaborate in India's crewed orbital spacecraft project called Gaganyaan. Kalyani Group is developing the DRDO Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). In diverse fields, the DRDO achievements are quite noteworthy particularly after 2020.  On 16 December 2021, Ashok Leyland signed a partnership agreement with Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) to develop 600 hp engines for the Future Combat Vehicle Programme. Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) on 27 December 2021 transferred technologies for developing border surveillance systems to Indian private sector company Paras Defence and Space. The system consists of radar, electro-optical sensors mounted on a pan tilt platform. On 28 December 2021, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) transferred technology to manufacture extreme cold weather clothing system to RHD Business Services, SBNX Innovation, Shiva Texyarn Limited, Kusumgar Corporates and Ginni Filaments Limited. Finally, DRDO has created other major systems and critical technologies such as aircraft avionics, UAVs, small arms, artillery systems, EW Systems, tanks and armored vehicles, sonar systems, command and control systems and missile systems.

          However, DRDO is also involved in commercial programmes, which is not their primary responsibility.  Surely, there are other government R & D agencies available  to clean lakes, low-cost bio-digesters for the treatment of human excreta, animal waste disposal, grey water and kitchen waste release and also augmenting diagnostic capability for COVID–19 outbreak, special hand sanitizer formulation and diagnostic kits and suits.

             To sum up, ab initio until 2000 "Empire Building Ethos" structure of DRDO, rigid compartmentalization, working in isolation without user participation resulted  in time and cost overruns. Abandonment was the norm after incurring expenditure.     However, after streamlining of structure, public-private partnership and leadership guidance after 2000, DRDO has been able to shed its past and embark on catching up with the rest in Missile Technologies of various types. High time for the DRDO to also abandon R & D efforts in civilian commercial ventures and focus only on military technologies to catch up with the rest on top of the ladder. Its sole focus must remain to race to the top of the ladder.

(Part 3 - Where Does India Stand in Unmanned Aircraft systems)