The Shaurya missile on display during the annual parade at India Gate. | Stock Image
Key points
- The Defense Research and Development Organization has recently carried out a series of missile tests amid heightened tensions with China throughout LAC.
- The DRDO has also recently conducted tests of a laser-guided anti-tank guided missile, as well as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
Balasore: India successfully conducted a test fire of an advanced version of the Shaurya nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile in Odisha on Saturday.
The Shaurya missile can strike targets at a range of around 800 kilometers and will complement the existing class of missile systems.
“It will be lighter and easier to operate,” government sources said.
In the final phase of its course, the missile moves at hypersonic speeds as it approaches its target, sources said.
The Defense Research and Development Organization has recently carried out a series of missile tests amid high tensions with China along the Royal Line of Control.
Recent missile tests
Laser guided anti-tank missile
On Tuesday, the DRDO tested a locally developed laser-guided anti-tank guided missile at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, the second successful test launch of the missile in the past 10 days. The missile has a range of up to 5 km.
The missile was fired from an MBT Arjun tank in the KK Ranges at Armored Corps Center and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar.
“The ATGM employs a tandem thermal warhead to defeat armored vehicles protected with explosive reactive armor (ERA) at ranges of 1.5 to 5 km,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The ATGM was developed with the ability to launch from multiple launch pads and is currently in the process of technical evaluation testing from the MBT Arjun’s 120mm rifled gun. The Arjun is a third generation battle tank developed by DRDO.
BrahMos
On Wednesday, the DRDO successfully tested an extended range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is capable of hitting targets with precision at a range of more than 400 km.
The test was carried out within the framework of the DRDO project PJ-10.
This was the second time the extended-range version of the BrahMos was tested, in which the missile’s fuselage and propellant were indigenously developed.
