DRDO Missiles Under Development Trials To Be Fielded Soon
Our Defence Research and Development organization have given our Armed Forces , a few world class missiles of all types. It includes ballistic missiles , submarine launched ballistic missiles , anti satellite missiles , anti ballistic missiles air defence missile , air to air missiles , cruise missiles and anti tank missiles. This has taken place in spite of all the road blocks erected by USA and other six other advanced countries who ganged up basically against India and formed the Missile Technology Control Regime in 1987.
The Indian DRDO after developing Prithvi Series of missiles ranging from 150 km to 350 km , Agni Series of missiles ranging from 1000 km to well over 5000km has handed them over to the Armed Forces for operational deployment.
Presently the DRDO is working on the following missiles which are at various advanced stages of development :
SL Missile Type Status
1 K-4 SLBM In Trials
2 K-5 SLBM Under Development
3 K-6 Intercontinental Range SLBM SLBM In Development
4 Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle Hypersonic Development Trials
5 Astra Mk-II Air-To-Air Under Development
6 Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet Air-To-Air Development Trials
7 Anti-Radiation Missile Air-To-Surface Development Trials
8 Prithvi Defence Vehicle Hit-To-Kill BMD Development Trials
9 Prithvi Defence Vehicle MK-II Hit-To-Kill BMD Being Tested
10 AD-1 (Phase II of BMD) Hit-To-Kill BMD In Development
11 AD-2 (Phase II of BMD) Hit-To-Kill BMD In Development
12 XR-SAM High Explosive BMD In Development
13 BrahMos-II [Hypersonic] Cruise Missile In Development
14 BrahMos-A Cruise Missile Development Trials
15 BrahMos-ER Cruise Missile In Development
16 BrahMos-NG Cruise Missile In Development
17 Nirbhay Cruise Missile Development Trials
18 Naval Anti-Ship Missile Anti-Ship Missile In Development
19 HeliNa [Nag-Air-launched ATGM] ATGM In Trials
20 Standoff Air-launched ATGM ATGM Development Trials
21 Man-Portable Anti-Tank Missile ATGM Development Trials
22 Amogha-I ATGM ATGM Development Trials
23 Amogha-II [Air Launched] ATGM Proposed
24 Amogha-III [MANPADS] ATGM Proposed
25 SMAHO ATGM [Cannon Launched] ATGM Development Trials
26 Agni-IP Ballistic Surface In Development
27 Agni-VI Ballistic Surface In Development
28 Prahaar Ballistic Tactical In Development
29 Pralay Ballistic Tactical In Development
30 Pranash Ballistic Tactical In Development
31 Akash MK-II Surface-To-Air Development Trials
32 Maitri Surface-To-Air In Development
33 Quick Reaction SAM Surface-To-Air In Trials
34 Long Range SAM Surface-To-Air In Trials
35 Long Range MBRL Ballistic Surface In Development
36 Shakti Anti-Satellite Missile Ballistic Anti-Satellite Development Trials
With 52 labs & over 7,800 scientists, the Defence Research & Development Organisation [DRDO] has been doing a wonderful job. over the decades , surmounting Himalyan obstacles. DRDO’s list of actual deployed missiles may be short but they have already provided India with a second strike capability against a nuclear attack. This has thus given us the required strategic autonomy.
Seemingly DRDO’s list of failures may be long. However even partial successes have been helping us to negotiate better deals from those who sell their weapons to us , since they know that sooner than later India too will have the same capability. However now DRDO has now reached that stage of take off and the newly created Chief of Defence Staff with his Department of Military Affairs and HQ IDS will ensure this take off.
The delayed induction of TEJAS, the mess-up that is Arjun MBT and the virtual rejection of the INSAS rifle by the Indian Army may be blamed on the DRDO but they certainly not responsible for all the ills. Here too sanctions on part of the Americans , bad negotiations by MoD with the Russians and the really pathetic management and work culture within the defence Public Sector Under takings are the main culprits.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was set up in 1958 with a vision to provide our defence services a decisive edge by equipping them with internationally competitive systems and solutions.
At the DefExpo 2020 concluded recently in Lucknow, a wide range of strategic and tactical weapon systems, defence equipment and technologies developed by DRDO were on display. DRDO highlighted products from its eight technology clusters, Aeronautical Systems, Armament & Combat Engineering (ACE), Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS), Life Sciences (LS), Micro Electronic Devices and Computational Systems (MED & CoS), Missile & Strategic Systems (MSS), Naval Systems & Materials (NS & M) and System Analysis and Modelling (SAM). Technology clusters, each headed by a Director General are entrusted with design and development of systems, products and core defence technologies.
Missile cluster is responsible for the design and development of state-of-the-art Missiles and Strategic Systems required for the deterrence and defence of the nation. India’s first ASAT missile used in Mission Shakti to demonstrate anti-satellite precision strike capability was on display at the DefExpo.
The cluster has developed a wide range of strategic and tactical missile systems. The displays included A-SAT, Astra and the SAAW weapon system. Outdoor missile displayed included LRSAM and BrahMos Mobile Autonomous Launcher. The indoor exhibits included models of Nag, Helina, Astra, LRSAM, QRSAM, NGARM, Akash, Prithvi, and multiple products and technologies such as RLG based INS-GPS, System on Chip, BrahMos OBC & MIU among other highlights.
Indian military is at an early stage of deployment plan to create an effective ballistic missile defence system for both offensive and defensive purposes. Therefore DRDO has hastened its weapon development and testing program over the last few years and soon our Tri Services Air Defence Command will be taking shape to deploy these missiles for our national security and strategic deterrence.
The Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) air defence system has entered service with both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) only in 2019 and took over 30 years. However after all the stringent tests now we have a world class system , already being eyed by countries in South East Asia and the Middle East which includes Saudi Arabia.
The DRDO has often complained that excellent systems built by it have been devalued by poor production, notably the Arjun tank, built by the Ordinance Factory Board at Avadi, Chennai. This is very true and needs effective intervention by both DMA and Department of Defence Production.
In the pipe line for operation deployment are the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’ , air launched BRAHMOS with 800 km range and K4 SLBM.
