Submarine missile test a step forward
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| Underwater launch of B-05 missile went according to plan |
| Ajai Shukla / New Delhi Jan 29, 2013, 00:41 IST - |
Even
in the visually spectacular field of missile testing, the sight of a
submarine-launched missile breaking through the surface is a
breathtaking one. Yesterday, Defence Research and Development
Organisation ( DRDO) scientists cheered excitedly as their indigenous, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
leapt out of the water, its rocket motor fired soon after clearing the
surface, and it soared off in a white plume to accurately strike a
target 700 kilometres away.
To nobodys surprise, the
underwater launch went exactly according to plan. This missile, called
in turn the K-15, the Shaurya and now the B-05, had already been
launched 10 times from under water and thrice from land. This exacting
test schedule is designed for assurance, since this is a missile that
cannot afford to fail. Until a better one is developed, this will be the
backbone of Indias underwater nuclear deterrence.
That means it will arm the INS Arihant,
Indias first and only nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine, or
SSBN. Tipped with
nuclear warheads, the K-15 will be launched from the Arihant only after
a nuclear attack on India. New Delhis no-first-use nuclear policy
prohibits the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons.
That
means Indias land-based and air-based nuclear weaponry, such as the
Agni series of missiles, might already have been destroyed by a
pre-emptive enemy nuclear attack. The Arihant, and the B-05 missiles
that it carries, are far more difficult to tackle, since they lurk
underwater in complete secrecy. The underwater leg of the nuclear triad
(land-launched, air-launched and submarine-launched weapons) has always
been regarded as the most survivable. It is the ultimate currency of a
nuclear exchange.
Going
by what the DRDO said
about its own test, the B-05 is well up to the task. The missile,
developed by DRDO, was launched from a pontoon and was tested for the
full range. It met all the mission objectives. The parameters of the
vehicle were monitored by radar all through the trajectory and terminal
events took place exactly as envisaged, said a ministry of defencerelease yesterday.
The
B-05 is no ordinary ballistic missile. Top DRDO scientists briefed
Business Standard that it is not a ballistic missile at all. It could
better be characterised as a hypersonic cruise missile, since
it remains within the earths atmosphere.
A
ballistic missile suffers from inherent disadvantages, since it is a
relatively crude device, akin to a stone lobbed upwards, propelled by a
rocket. After the rocket burns out, gravity comes into play, pulling the
missile warhead down towards the target. Buffeted by wind and re-entry
forces, accuracy is a problem; and, since the ballistic missiles path is
entirely predictable, shooting it down is relatively easy.
The
Shaurya has overcome most of these issues. Its solid-fuel, two-stage
rocket accelerates the missile to six times the speed of sound before it
reaches an altitude of 40 kilometres (125,000 feet), after which it
levels out and cruises
towards the target, powered by its on board fuel. In contrast to
conventional ballistic missiles that cannot correct their course midway,
the Shaurya is intelligent. On board navigation computers kick in near
the target, guiding the missile to the target and eliminating errors
that inevitably creep in during its turbulent journey.
I would say the Shaurya is a hybrid propulsion missile, says Dr V K Saraswat,
the DRDO chief, talking to Business Standard in 2010. Like a ballistic
missile, it is powered by solid fuel. And, like a cruise missile, it can
guide itself
right up to the target.
Making
the B-05 even more survivable is its ability to manoeuvre, following a
twisting path to the target that makes it very difficult to shoot it
down. In contrast, a ballistic missile is predictable; its trajectory
gives away its target and its path to it.
The problem with the B-05 remains its relatively short range of just 750 kilometres. While
it could reach major cities in most countries if it were launched from
just off the coast, that would necessitate a perilous submarine journey
to the vicinity of the coastline. Therefore, the
DRDO is also developing a longer-range missile, dubbed the K-4, which
will have a range
of almost 4,000 kilometres. An Indian SSBN armed with the K-4 missile
would be able to strike most likely targets from a safe patrol location
in the Bay of Bengal.
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