India test-fires ballistic missile from underwater platform

The Times of India ^ | Sunday, January 27, 2013 | Press Trust of India

[Jyotishi]

Moving a step closer to completing its nuclear triad, India today successfully test-fired a ballistic missile, wit a strike range of around 1500 kilometres, from an underwater platform in Bay of Bengal.

"The medium range K-5 ballistic missile was test-fired successfully today from an underwater pontoon and all parameters of the test firing were met," DRDO chief VK Saraswat told PTI from the undisclosed test area.

Nuclear triad is the ability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from land, air and sea.

Saraswat said that the development phase of the K-5 missile, which is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), was over and it was now ready for deployment on various platforms including the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant which is under development.

K-5 is part of the family of underwater missiles being developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for the Indian strategic forces' underwater platforms.

This missile will help India to achieve the capability of launching nuclear warheads from underwater facilities. This is the first missile in the underwater category to have been developed by India. So far, India had the capability of delivering nuclear weapons from land and aerial platforms only.

India has a no-first-use policy for nuclear weapons and the development of an SLBM boosts its retaliatory strike capability, experts said.

India is also developing two more underwater missiles including K-15 and Brahmos with strike ranges of 750 kilometres and 290 kilometres respectively.

India has for some time possessed the Agni series of ballistic missiles as well as fighter-bomber aircraft to constitute the land and air-based legs of the nuclear triad.

India had on April 19, last year made a giant stride when it test-fired nuclear-capable Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has brought China within its reach with a strike range of over 5,000 km. This missile also gives India the capability to hit targets in eastern Europe, east Africa and the Australian coast.

K-5 ballistic missile, which is also known as BO5, has been developed by DRDO's Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

Officials said more than 10 trials of the missile have been performed earlier. Today's was the last development trial of K-5. Only a select few nations including the US, France, Russia and China have this type of missile capability.

"This is a significant development and capability enhancement. The launch of the SLBM is a complex technological development. And now since the missile is ready for induction, this is a major punctuation in India's indigenous missile development programme," said security expert Commodore (retd) Uday Bhaskar.

Another security expert Commander (retd) Sunil Chauhan said the development has helped India achieve a significant milestone for country's strategic forces. This success will give countervailing capability, he said.

Defence analyst Deba R Mohanty said by achieving the nuclear triad, India will certainly be on the upward trajectory of becoming a global military power in the real sense.

[Cyber Liberty]

Once we finish up in Afghanistan, there really is nothing stopping us from giving the Pakies the back of our hand, good and hard.

We need to choose sides here, and India has a golden opportunity.

[ops33]

Are their land bases missiles in silos or are they mobile?

[Wolfie]

Amen. We’re flush with cash after all, even if it’s not worth as much as it used to be. And with females now eligible for combat, we’ve got the troops too.

[Cyber Liberty]

It’s a pity we have a President who admits to having sided with the Muzzies. As I said, India is a golden opportunity, but until we get rid of this Kenyan fool they are the ones who will receive the back of our hand.

[caltaxed]

Launching a solid fuel missile from a moving submarine is a difficult thing to do.

Well done.

[brityank]

Thanks for the thread and info.

NDTV Video of Launch and Live Interview

The missile has been designed and perfected by AK Chakrabarty, the Director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, which is the mother facility for India's Integrated Missile Development Programme. This launch was particularly poignant for Mr Chakrabarty as he has been involved with this project since its very inception, and now within a few hours of the last developmental launch, he is retiring after many decades of glorious service to the nation.

[bmwcyle]

The Russians help them. The missiles light off in the tube underwater. The world is one major step closer to nuke war.

[Jyotishi]

> The world is one major step closer to nuke war.

It will be interesting to read a list of countries that have brought the world closer to nuclear war and by how many steps.

[bmwcyle]

The great factor right now is how fast it spreads across countries.

[Oztrich Boy]

OK this report seems a bit inaccurate

Other sources are reporting this as a K-15 Sagarika test (the 12th so far since Feb 2008), which makes sense in timescale and reported range.

The K-5 is India's Trident equivilent with a 10,000 km range In-service date probably after 2020. No way they've got a test vehicle ready now.

Anyway the K-4 (4000-5000km) Poseidon equivilent is in the pipeline before the K-5.

But with all K-15 launches reportedly successful, it does seem India will have a Stage 1 Pakistan targeted SLBM from when the Arihant class submarine enter service.

Late Google From India Today: I wuz right, it seems this was the final K-15 test