The government recently approved the induction and deployment of the 700-km-range surface-to-surface Shaurya supersonic strategic missile despite progress in the development of the submarine-launched 5,000 km-range K-5 ballistic missile, people familiar con said the matter on condition of anonymity. They added that the 800km (below the speed of sound) subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay will be tested in the coming weeks and installed in the Indian Army and Navy soon after.
HT learns that a limited number of Nirbhay missiles have already been deployed in response to the Chinese build-up in Tibet and Xinjiang.
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The tests and deployments must be seen in the context of the current stalemate between Indian and Chinese troops on the Royal Line of Control.
Last month, the government tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), the forerunner for building missiles that can travel at a minimum of five times the speed of sound (7 September), the extended-range version of the supersonic missile. BrahMos cruise (on September 30; with a range of 400 km, compared to the existing 290 km); the nuclear-capable Shaurya supersonic missiles that can travel between two and three times the speed of sound (3 October); and the supersonic missile-assisted torpedo launch targeting submarines (5 October). BrahMos is also a supersonic missile.
The Shaurya missile is the land-based version of the submarine-launched BA-05 missile and has been developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The ground version was last discreetly tested prior to induction and as part of Balasore user testing on October 3. It will soon be deployed to locations identified by the Indian Strategic Forces Command under the direction of the National Security Council. The missile has a warhead that weighs around 160 kilograms.
According to leading missile experts, Shaurya is a delivery system stored in a composite canister for rapid deployment and minimal interaction with the elements. The strategic missile flies into the atmosphere at a height of 50 kilometers. The experts added that the government’s decision to opt for the ground version is significant as the missile can be launched by a single vehicle.
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DRDO is also making rapid progress in the development of the 5000 km version of the SLBM submarine-launched ballistic missile. With a range equivalent to the Agni-5 land ballistic missile, the K-5 will be deployed aboard the Arihant-class nuclear submarines. While missile scientists are silent on the SLBM K-5, the weapons system is expected to be tested in the next 15 months and then deployed to INS Arihant and INS Arighat, a new class of heavier submarine. being tested in port. INS Arighat is expected to enter service in the next six months and INS Arihant is already deployed in forward positions.
Analysts said that at a time when India is engaged in a belligerent Chinese army in the Ladakh sector, the testing and deployment of short-range delivery platforms clearly conveys the Modi government’s intention not to back down from any aggression or cartographic expansion plan of any adversary in the neighborhood.
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