Indian Missiles

Indian Missiles remain the most
important topic in general knowledge section for competitive exams. Aspirants should know the list of Indian Missiles to crack the upcoming competitive exams like SSC, UPSC, etc. We hope, it will help you to boost your scores in Competitive exams.

INDIAN MISSILES

AGNI

◑ The Agni missile is an intermediate- range ballistic missile (IRBM) developed under the IGMDP by India.

◑ It was first tested at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur in 1989, and is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1000 kg or a nuclear warhead.

◑ It consists of one (short range) or two stages (intermediate range). It is rail and road mobile. It is powered by solid and/or liquid propellants.

VARIANTS OF AGNI

AGNI- Ⅰ : The indigenously developed nuclear capable Agni-l ballistic missile has a strike range of 700 km.

◑ It is a single-stage missile which is powered by solid propellants and has a specialised navigation system which ensures that it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision.

◑It weighs around 12 tonnes and is 15 metre long, which is capable of carrying payloads up to 1000 kg.

AGNI- Ⅱ : This nuclear capable domestically built surface-to-surface two stage ballistic missile has a strike range of 2000 km. ◑ It is 20 metres long and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead weighing one ton.

AGNI-III : This nuclear-capable ballistic
missile has a strike range of 3000 km. The
indigenously developed surface-to-air
missile can carry a warhead of 1.5 tonne and is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system.

AGNI-IV : This nuclear-capable strategic
missile has a strike range of about 4,000 km.The sophisticated missile is lighter in weight and has two stages of solid propulsion.

◑The payload, with a re-entry heat shield can withstand temperature of more than 3,000 degree Celsius.

AGNI-V : Agni-V is India’s maiden
nuclear-tipped inter-continental ballistic
missile (ICBM). The missile has a target range of more than 5,000 km and can be launched from a mobile launcher.

◑ The missile reaches an altitude of 600 km and can attain velocity of 7000m/second. Indigenously built Agni-V is 17.5m tall, solid-fuelled, surface to surface, three stage missile with a launch weight of
50 tons, which includes a 1.5 tonne warhead.

◑ With the successful launch of Agni-V, India has entered into an elite group of nations (USA, Russia, China, UK and France) which has such technology.

INDIAN MISSILES

PRITHVI

The Prithvi missile is the tactical
surface-to-surface short-range ballistic
missile (SRBM).

◑ It was India’s first indigenously developed ballistic missile.

◑ Development of the Prithvi began in 1983, and it was first test-fired on Feb 25, 1988 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

VARIANTS OF PRITHVI

The Prithvi missile project encompassed
developing three variants for use by the
Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, outlined in the initial project
framework of the IGMDP.

PRITHVI-Ⅰ: Army Version (150 km range with a payload of 1000 kg)
PRITHVI -Ⅱ: Air Force Version (200 km range with a payload of 500 kg)
PRITHVI -ⅠⅡ OR SAGARIKA : Naval Version (350 km range with a payload of 500 kg)

DHANUSH

◑ The Dhanush is a Naval variant of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile intended for launch from surface ships.

◑ The Defence Ministry has said that the 8.53 metre-long and 0.9 meter wide Dhanush, with a strike range of 350 km and payload capacity of 500 kg, would “soon be operationalised” in the Navy.

AKASH

◑ Akash is a medium range surface-to-air
missile with an intercept range of 30 km.

◑ It has a launch weight of 720 kg, a diameter of 35 cm and a length of 5.8 metres.

◑ Akash flies at supersonic speed, reaching around Mach 2.5. It can reach an altitude of 18 km. It is propelled by a solid fuelled booster stage.

TRISHUL

◑ Trishul is a short range surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 9 km and is fitted with a 5.5 kg warhead. Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets.

◑ At short range, the system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land.

INDIAN MISSILES

NAG

◑ Nag is India’s third generation “Fire-and-forget” anti-tank missile.

◑It is an all-weather, top attack missile with a range of 3 to 7 km. Separate versions for the Army and the Air Force are being developed.

SHAURYA

◑ The Shaurya missile is a short-range
surface-to-surface ballistic missile for use by the Indian Army. Capable of hypersonic
speeds, it has a range of 600 km and is
capable of carrying a payload of one-tonne
conventional or nuclear warhead.

◑ The Shaurya missile provides India with a significant second strike capability. Shaurya missile is a land version of the under-water launched K-15 missile, Sagarika.

BRAHMOS

BRAHMOS is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.

◑ It is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed the BRAHMOS Aerospace Private Limited.

◑ Its operational range is 290 km.
The acronym BRAHMOS is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

◑ It travels at speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8 and is the world’s fastest cruise missile. A hypersonic version of the missile is also presently under development.

Also Read : Indian Defence System