Indian Army evacuating 93000 Pakistani Prisoners of War

Brief History of 1971 war

1971 war began with Pakistan attacking India and committing genocide against Bangladeshis in then East Pakistan http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/

Within 13 days of start of war, Indian military decimated pakistani forces and liberated Bangladesh from the clutches of pakjabis. The resulting surrender of 90,000 pakistani military personnel was largest in number of prisoners of war since World War II.

The Instrument of Surrender of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.

The Hamoodur Rahman Commission report instituted by Pakistan has the following comments to make on the result of war

For Pakistan it was a complete and humiliating defeat, a psychological setback that came from a defeat at the hands of intense rival India.

Pakistan lost half its territory, significant portion of its economy and its geo-political role in South Asia.

The loss of East Pakistan had shattered the prestige of the Pakistani military. Pakistan lost half its navy, a quarter of its air force and a third of its army.

Pakistan Army 2nd Surrender ceremony before Indian Army in Bangladesh 1971 Unseen Video

Brigadier Baqir Siddiqui, Chief of Staff, Eastern Command of Pakistan Army surrenders with his 12,000 men before Indian Army Major General Gandharv Nagra on December 21 1971

This is a less publicized and less well-known surrender ceremony which took place on December 21 1971, days after the first surrender by Niazi's forces

Brief History of 1971 war
1971 war began with Pakistan attacking India and committing genocide against Bangladeshis in then East Pakistan. http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/

Within 13 days of start of war, Indian military decimated pakistani forces and liberated Bangladesh from the clutches of pakjabis. The resulting surrender of 90,000 pakistani military personnel was largest in number of prisoners of war since World War II.

The Instrument of Surrender of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.

The Hamoodur Rahman Commission report instituted by Pakistan has the following comments to make on the result of war

For Pakistan it was a complete and humiliating defeat, a psychological setback that came from a defeat at the hands of intense rival India.

Pakistan lost half its territory, significant portion of its economy and its geo-political role in South Asia.

The loss of East Pakistan had shattered the prestige of the Pakistani military. Pakistan lost half its navy, a quarter of its air force and a third of its army.

The Pakistani people were not mentally prepared to accept defeat, the state-controlled media in West Pakistan had been projecting imaginary victories. When the surrender in East Pakistan was finally announced, people could not come terms with the magnitude of defeat, spontaneous demonstrations and mass protests erupted on the streets of major cities in West Pakistan. Also, referring to the remaining rump Western Pakistan as simply "Pakistan" added to the effect of the defeat as international acceptance of the secession of the eastern half of the country and its creation as the independent state of Bangladesh developed and was given more credence. The cost of the war for Pakistan in monetary and human resources was very high. Demoralized and finding himself unable to control the situation, General Yahya Khan surrendered power to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was sworn-in on 20 December 1971 as President and as the (first civilian) Chief Martial Law Administrator. A new and smaller western-based Pakistan emerged on 16 December 1971.

Nag Missile destroying Pakistan Al Khalid Tank

Chronicle Of Martyrs

A comic series on our war heroes puts patriotism in a gritty graphic format

ARPITA BASU

The cover of the Maj Unnikrishnan comic book

Bullets don’t bounce off their chests. Nor do they have superhuman powers to unleash webs or hoist themselves into the air, voluminous capes and all. What they do have is extraordinary courage. Meet the heroes of the Indian War Comics, a series that began in ’08 with a comic on Kargil martyr Capt Vikram Batra. The third one, commemorating Maj Sandeep Unnikrishnan of 26/11 fame, will be released on Independence Day. If the cover is any indication—a fiery-eyed Maj Unnikrishnan aiming his rifle at the enemy against the backdrop of a burning Taj Mahal Hotel, all the while supporting his injured colleague—the portrayal of the protagonist will fit snugly into the superhero mould, though it will also dwell on his early life and influences.

It was ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’, Capt Batra’s famous rallying cry on the icy heights of Kargil, that inspired the series creator, Aditya Bakshi, to immortalise India’s military heroes through speech bubbles. A merchant navy officer and a general’s son, reared on dog-eared Commando comics, Aditya found himself moved to tears after a chat with his father about Capt Batra, who died at the age of 24. “There was a lot of material available on him, but only in the regimental format of historical accounts, which would hardly appeal to children. I wanted to make these heroes known to the widest possible audience, and in a more permanent way than the odd TV programme.” So, armed with a pencil, Aditya began to give shape to his idea, even doing the early drawings himself. Later, the realisation that the text he was penning needed professionally executed visuals sent him off to the Delhi College of Art with an ‘artist wanted’ poster. A student, Pradeep Yadav, came forward and Yeh Dil Maange More, the first black-and-white Indian War Comic—82 pages long, priced at Rs 65 and merging facts and imagination with gusto—was born. While it is public knowledge that Capt Batra single-handedly overpowered five enemy soldiers, approaching their bunker from the back after a perilous climb, the comic drew upon all the resources of the genre to illustrate how it was done—with a little creative licence thrown in. For instance, it has Capt Batra shout out the lines: “Yes, it’s raining bullets and perhaps we die. But what more worthy death can one hope for? Come on men, this is what we dreamed of...to die a soldier’s death and live forever.” It even has a bit role for journalist Barkha Dutt, who interviewed Capt Batra at Kargil.

Encouraged by the fact that a few thousand readers actually bought the comic, distributed by Om Books International, Aditya went on to launch his second comic, the True Maratha, on Ashok Chakra-winning Col N.J. Nair, who ignored his eventually fatal wounds to lead from the front and break an ambush by Naga insurgents. Two more are in the pipeline—on Param Vir Chakra winner Capt Bana Singh, the only one of the heroes who’s still alive, and on Ashok Chakra awardee Commando Sanjog Chhetri.

Capt Batra, the Kargil martyr

So is there a readership out there warming to the idea of an Indian genre of war comics, despite the stiff competition from Marvel and DC comics, and innumerable computer and video games? Says Amit Vig of Om Books International, “The popularity of these comics is rising.” He points out that the Capt Batra comic, of which 10,000 copies were initially printed, will go into reprint soon, and the one on Maj Unnikrishnan will also, he believes, cross the 10,000-copy mark.

Aditya, who has been making the rounds of schools to popularise his comics, claims a growing interest in this genre among school children. Kanika Mehra, a teacher at the Delhi Public School, Noida, seems to agree. The comics, she says, “offer an engaging perspective on war history”, while her student, viiith grader Shivansh Tyagi, concedes it is a format that appeals to him. A serving army general, who didn’t want to be named, also registered approval, but for different reasons: “These comics offer exemplars that children would want to emulate. It helps at a time when we’re losing recruits to other lucrative jobs.”

If it’s inspiration that’s needed, the comics offer it by the bucketloads. Indeed, they overdo it at times. The second comic book, for instance, shows Col Nair charging forth against a hail of bullets, as his word balloon reads: “Come on my brave Marathas. Soldiers of Shivaji. Let’s give it back to them.”

Aditya concedes that the treatment is stylised, even exaggerated, but argues that it’s necessary in order to sell the comics to children fed on a diet of TV and video games. To his credit, he has taken some trouble to make his comics authentic, even if each carries a disclaimer of being an unofficial account. Most of the battle sequences can be traced to an official document or statement, a family member, an eyewitness or simply an open source. Maj Unnikrishnan’s father, K. Unnikrishnan was given a questionnaire to fill up, and Capt Batra’s father gathered information and anecdotes from his son’s school and army units and even provided two letters written by him to his brother Vishal. “I get emotional when I read the comic,” says his father, G.L. Batra.

Unnikrishnan’s father, on the other hand, was initially hesitant about the idea of having his son featured as the protagonist of a comic book. He does not, he told Outlook, want his son painted in the colours of a war hero: “I see him as someone only doing his job, and that’s how Sandeep felt too”. But he eventually warmed to Aditya’s project because he felt it could help spread awareness of the ideals of patriotism and the value of dedicating one’s life to one’s chosen vocation. The release of the comic on August 15 also chimes well with this bereaved father’s own project—to cycle all the way from India Gate to the Gateway of India, reaching Mumbai on 26/11.

http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?266529

DRDO to develop next-generation tank for Indian Army

Since current foreign made armour is unfit to fight at night, the project is crucial.

In March this year, during trials in the Rajasthan desert, the Defence R&D Organisation’s Arjun tank conclusively outperformed the Russian T-90, the army’s showpiece. Buoyed by that success and by the army’s consequent order for 124 additional Arjuns, the DRDO is now readying to develop India’s next-generation tank, currently termed the Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT).

While costs are still being evaluated, the projections are mind-boggling. The development cost alone could be Rs 5,000 crore. Then, the replacement cost of the Indian Army’s 4,000 tanks — at a conservative Rs 25 crore per FMBT — adds to Rs 1,00,000 crore. The bulk of this would flow, over years of production, to Tier-I and Tier-II suppliers from small and medium industries.

For the first time, the DRDO has outlined the FMBT project’s contours. Talking exclusively to Business Standard, DRDO chief and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, V K Saraswat, revealed, “While the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) has been handed over to private industry, the DRDO will develop the FMBT. We need about seven-eight years from the time the project is formally sanctioned. The army and the DRDO have already identified the major features of the FMBT, which are quite different from the Arjun. While the Arjun is a 60-tonne tank, the FMBT will be lighter… about 50 tonnes. It will be a highly mobile tank.”

Vital project

The FMBT project, says the military, is crucial for India’s future battle readiness. As army chief, General Deepak Kapoor pronounced 80 per cent of India’s tank fleet unfit to fight at night, which is when most tank battles take place. The bulk of our fleet, some 2,400 obsolescent Russian T-72s, are being shoddily patched up (see Business Standard, Feb 3, ‘Army to spend billions on outdated T-72 tanks’). More modern T-90 tanks were procured from Russia in 2001, shorn of crucial systems to reduce prices, after parliamentary dissent threatened to derail the contract (Business Standard, Feb 4, ‘Piercing the army’s armour of deception’). Only now, after nine years of stonewalling, has Russia transferred the technology needed to build the T-90 in India.

Urgently in need of capable tanks, the army has worked with DRDO to finalise a broad range of capabilities for the FMBT. These have been formalised in a document called the Preliminary Specifications Qualitative Requirement (PSQR). The detailed specifications of the FMBT, once finalised, will be listed in General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR).

Amongst the capabilities being finalised for the GSQR are: active armour, which will shoot down enemy anti-tank projectiles before they strike the FMBT; extreme mobility, which makes the FMBT much harder to hit; the capability to operate in a nuclear-contaminated battlefield without exposing the crew to radiation; and the networked flow of information to the FMBT, providing full situational awareness to the crew, even when “buttoned down” inside the tank.

Also being finalised is the FMBT armament, a key attribute that determines a tank’s battlefield influence. The Arjun already has a heavy 120mm ‘main gun’, and two small-calibre machine guns; the recently ordered batch of 124 Arjuns will also fire anti-tank missiles through their main gun. The army wants all of those for the FMBT, with ranges enhanced through technological improvements.

However, the DRDO chief ruled out an electromagnetic gun, the next generation in high-velocity guns towards which armament technology aspires. “The Future MBT is not so far in the future,” Saraswat quipped.

FICV, too

With the FMBT project squarely on its agenda, the DRDO also envisages a major role in developing the FICV. Says the DRDO chief, “The FICV is not just a conventional armoured vehicle for transporting soldiers. It involves advanced technologies and multidisciplinary integration, which private industry has never done. Only the DRDO and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) have that experience. DRDO teams are already thinking about the technologies that should go into the FICV. But this is only to support private industry in making the FICV project a success.”

While private industry weighs its options about where to manufacture the FICV, the DRDO has already chosen the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) in Avadi —- the OFB facility that builds the Arjun —- as the FMBT production line.

“It will definitely be produced in HVF. I see no way that we can go away from HVF,” says Saraswat. “The HVF will work with us from the preliminary design of the FMBT, so that we can go from prototype to mass production without any hiccups.”

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/drdo-to-develop-army/s-next-generation-tank/404082/

Status of Missile Development Programmes as on August 2010

Status of Missile Development Programmes

August 09, 2010

Nag - A 3rd Generation Anti-Tank Missile having ‘top attack’ and ‘fire and forget’ capability with a range of 4 km. Its validation trial based on User Trial feedback has been completed successfully. Missile system is ready to enter production /induction phase.

HELINA - A Helicopter Version of 3rd Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile with a range of more than 7 km. Launchers have been cleared for captive carriage trials and handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for carriage trials.

Astra – A Air-to-Air Missile system for beyond visual range, designated to be a missile for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Its two guided flight trials from ground launcher have been undertaken during July 2010.

LR-SAM – A Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) jointly developed / produced by DRDO and IAI, Israel. Its Ballistic flight trials was undertaken in May 2010.

MR-SAM – A Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) jointly developed/produced by DRDO and IAI, Israel. Its preliminary design has been carried out. Pre-tender briefing to all prospective vendors has also been carried out.

Agni Series of Surface-to-Surface Missiles: Agni-I with a range of 700 km and Agni-II with a range of more than 2000 km have been developed and inducted into Services. Agni-III with a range of 3000 km is ready for induction into Services.

BrahMos – it is a Supersonic Cruise Missile. It has twin roles against sea and land based targets and can be fitted on multiple platforms including ships, submarines, aircraft and mobile ground platforms. The missile has range of 290 km with 200 kg warhead and a speed of more than 2.8 mach number. BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile development programme started as a joint venture between India and Russia through an Inter Government Agreement in February 1998. It has already been inducted in Indian Navy and Indian Army. The Air Version of the missile is under development.

Except BrahMos, no offer has been received from any country for joint venture in missile development programmes. There is no plan to accept the conditions of Missile Technology Control Regime.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri SB Wankhede and Shri AP Shivaji in Lok Sabha today.

Source : http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=64466

Agni III ready for induction : Defence Minister

Aug 9, 2010

NEW DELHI

After the Agni-I and Agni-II surface-to-surface missiles, the 3000-km range Agni-III missile is ready for being inducted into the service, Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

"700 km range Agni-I and 2000 km range Agni-II have been developed and inducted into service. Agni-III with a range of 3000 km is ready for induction," Defence minister A K Antony said in reply to a question.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Agni-III-ready-for-induction-Antony/articleshow/6283385.cms

India successfully test-fires interceptor missile

26 July 2010

Balasore, Orissa

India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed interceptor missile, capable of destroying any in-coming hostile ballistic missile, from the Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast.

Aimed at developing a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, the trial was carried out from two launch sites of ITR off the Orissa coast, defence sources said.

The whole exercise is to achieve the desired result with precision, said a senior defence scientist.

The target missile, a modified surface-to-surface 'Prithvi' was first lifted off from a mobile launcher at 10:05 am from the launch complex-3 of ITR at Chandipur-on-sea, 15 km from here.

The interceptor "AAD" missile, positioned at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across sea from Chandipur getting signals from radars tracked it a few minutes later and than intercepted at a definite altitude in the mid-air over the sea, the sources said.

While the test launch of both target and hit missiles were deemed success from their respective test sites, detailed results, specifically the 'kill' effects of the interceptor will be known after all data analysis from multiple tracking sources, a defence official said soon after both the missiles roared into the overcast sky leaving behind a thin layer of smoke.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/India-successfully-test-fires-interceptor-missile/articleshow/6217915.cms

Interceptor missile to be test-fired today by DRDO

July 25, 2010

Preparation for the test-fire of India's own interceptor missile, likely to be conducted tomorrow at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Orissa coast, reached its final stage today.

Range co-ordination work for the proposed trial has been completed and final check-up of the sub-systems are under process, defence sources said.

Scientists of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) are working overtime to see that the proposed trial is successful, they said adding that in March, the tests were put-off twice due to technical problems.

"Aimed at developing a full fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, the mock exercise is to be carried out from two different launch sites of the ITR," said a defence scientist.

The whole exercise is just like hitting a bullet with a bullet, he said.

The target, a modified surface-to-surface missile would first be lifted off from a mobile launcher from the launch complex-3 of ITR at Chandipur-on-sea, 15 km from here.

The interceptor, positioned at the Wheeler Island, about 70 km across sea from Chandipur, which gets signals from radars positioned at different points along the Orissa sea coast would track it and then intercept at a definite altitude mid-air.

Yet to get a formal name, this indigenously developed new hypersonic interceptor missile is designed to be engaged in both endo (within 50 km of earth atmosphere) as well as exo (beyond 50 km of earth atmosphere) atmospheric condition.

The seven-meter long interceptor is a single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile, equipped with an inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator totally under command by the data up-linked from the sophisticated ground based radars to the interceptor.

This would be the fourth time for the DRDO to test its intercepting missile. The three previous tests were conducted on November 27, 2006, December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2009 from the Wheeler Island.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_final-round-preparation-for-test-firing-of-interceptor-missile-in-orissa_1414326

Software for BrahMos Missile Project

Jul 24, 2010

Madurai

Researchers at Thiagarajar College of Engineering here have been involved in developing enhanced software capability for the BrahMos missile.

Researchers worked on the project for three years and the new software will be evaluated and implemented in future or advanced versions of the missile, according to Mr A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller (Research and Development), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The software will help the missile ‘view' its target , by correlating the target with satellite images The project was funded by BrahMos Aerospace.

Validation of the software will take place within a year, he said, while inaugurating a two-day conference organised by Velammal College of Engineering and Technology, here, on Thursday.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/07/24/stories/2010072451781900.htm

Tank busting Nag missile's final validation trials completed

July 16, 2010

Third generation anti-tank Nag missile is expected to be inducted into the Army's arsenal next year with the successful completion of “final validation trials” in the Chanan Air Force ranges in Rajasthan.

The hit-to-kill missile proved its capability against both moving and stationary targets with precision. In all, four missiles — two each against a moving target and a derelict Vijayanta tank — were fired to cover varying ranges of 500 metres to 2,600 metres on Wednesday, a senior Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official told TheHindu from Rajasthan.

The “fire-and-forget” missile was bang on target. Each time, two missiles were fired consecutively within a span of few minutes against a moving and another stationary target. Moving with a speed of 210 metres per second, Nag caused extensive damage to stationary Vijayanta tanks on both the occasions, the official said.

Channel-crossing ability

The “flotation trials” of the Nag Missile Carrier (Namica) were held on Thursday in the Indira Gandhi Canal, Nachna, during which the entire system manoeuvred through the canal and established its “channel-crossing ability.” Namica was produced by Bharat Electronics Ltd., while the reconfigured launcher platform was developed by Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai. Each NAMICA can carry eight missiles in ready-to-fire mode.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. J. P. Singh and Director-General, Mechanised Forces, Lt. Gen. Dalip Bharadwaj witnessed the trials.

The official said the Army was satisfied with the performance of the missile. He expressed confidence that it would be inducted by early next year. It is likely to replace the imported second generation missiles. Bharat Dynamics Ltd has established facilities for producing 100 Nag missiles a year.

Last month, following a request from the Army, Nag, which has a maximum range of four km, destroyed both moving and stationary targets at a short range of 500 metres within a few seconds of its launch.

Equipped with a Imaging Infra-Red seeker — that cannot be jammed — the missile has top-attack capability and carries a highly potent tandem HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead that can defeat modern tanks and armoured vehicles. Another unique feature of the missile is that it has a low smoke propellant that would make it difficult for the adversary to identify the firing place.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/16/stories/2010071653531500.htm

India to test Interceptor Missile in August as part of efforts to build ballistic missile defence shield

July 11, 2010

India will launch in early August an interceptor called Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile to shoot down an incoming “enemy missile” as part of its efforts to build a credible ballistic missile defence shield.

After the “enemy” missile takes off from its launch pad at the Integrated Test Range, (ITR) Balasore, Orisssa, the AAD missile will pounce upon it midway, lifting off from the Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal, about 60 km off Balasore.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has built both the missiles and will launch them. Preparations are progressing apace for the launches.

V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, said the AAD interceptor “is not one of the existing missiles,” hinting that it has been newly developed.

The target “is a modified missile” and the interception would take place in endo-atmosphere. But the interception would be at a high altitude in the endo-atmosphere. While the endo-atmosphere is 50 km and below, the exo-atmosphere is above 50 km. Rains had led to the test being postponed from July to August.

Of the four interceptor missile tests so far, the first three were successful. The last one in March 2010 was a failure.

Dr. Saraswat, who is also Director-General, DRDO, said the test-flights of Astra, India's air-to-air missile on Tuesday and Wednesday were aimed at demonstrating its high manoeuvrability, and its control and guidance systems.

“The Astra is meant for destroying aerial targets. It is a gradual process of proving its control and guidance systems. Before we integrate the missile with an aircraft, we should prove all this. [However], we have flown the missile integrated with an aircraft and it was done in Pune,” he said.

The missile was integrated with a Sukhoi-30 aircraft. But the tests on Tuesday and Wednesday took place from the ground at the ITR.

The Astra is about 3.6 metre long and weighs 160 kg.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/11/stories/2010071163301000.htm

Astra missile test-fired for second consecutive day

File picture of Astra Missile

July 7, 2010

India on Wednesday test-fired Astra, the indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile at Chandipur near here, hours after carrying out the first night trial of the weapon.

The sophisticated missile was fired from a launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) complex, about 15 km from here, at 2.07 pm, defence sources said.

The second consecutive trial comes after the missile was test-fired for the first time for night trial in inclement weather conditions on Tuesday night. The data generated were being thoroughly examined by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists, the sources said.

The single stage, solid-fuelled Astra is more advanced in its category than the contemporary BVR missiles and is capable of engaging and destroying highly manoeuvrable supersonic aerial targets, DRDO scientists said.

The 3.8-metre-long missile, which has a diameter of 178 mm, can carry a warhead containing explosives weighing 15 kg and can be fitted to any fighter aircraft.

It is intended for eventual integration with the IAFs Sukhoi-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Jaguar and the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the sources said.

Describing Astra as a futuristic missile, the scientists said the weapon could intercept targets at supersonic speed (mach 1.2 to 1.4).

Before being made fully operational, the complex missile system will undergo some more trials, though tests of its navigation, control, air frame, propulsion and other sub-systems have been validated, the sources said.

Though the exact range of Wednesday’s trial was not disclosed, DRDO scientists are working to ensure Astra performs effectively at different altitudes — one cruising at an altitude of 15 km with 90 to 110 km range, another at an altitude up to 30,000 ft, having a range of 44 km and the third at sea level with a range of 25 km, the sources said.

The trials of Astra, conducted on January 11 this year from the same base, were successful.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/article504428.ece

Astra Beyond Visual Range Missile successfully test-fired

File picture of Astra Missile

July 6, 2010

India on Tuesday conducted the night trial of its indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile 'Astra' in inclement weather.

Defence sources said the sophisticated missile was test-fired from a launcher in launch pad number two of the Integrated Test Range complex at Chandipur, about 15km from Balasore, Orissa, at about 8.15 pm.

The single stage, solid fuelled 'Astra' missile is more advanced in its category than the contemporary BVR missiles and is capable of engaging and destroying highly maneuverable supersonic aerial targets, Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said.

The 3.8 metre long missile, which has a diametre of 178 mm, can carry a warhead containing explosives weighing 15 kg and can be fitted to any fighter aircraft.

It is intended to be eventually integrated with IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Jaguar and the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the sources said.

Describing 'Astra' as a futuristic missile, DRDO scientists said the weapon could intercept the target at supersonic speed (mach 1.2 to 1.4).

"Before being made fully operational, the complex missile system will undergo some more trials, though tests of its navigation, control, air frame, propulsion and other sub-system have been validated," the sources said.

Though the exact range of today's trial has not been disclosed, DRDO scientists are working to ensure that 'Astra' performs effectively at different altitudes - one cruising at an altitude of 15km with 90 to 110km range, another at an altitude up to 30,000 ft, having a range of 44km and the third at sea level with a range of 25km, the sources said.

The last two trials of Astra, conducted on January 11 from the same base, were successful.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/air-to-air-missile-astra-successfully-test-fired-35977

New missile interceptor test in end June: DRDO

June 7, 2010

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be testing a new missile interceptor in Balasore by the end of this month, DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat told India Today. "We will have a test in end June or early July and are calling this new missile the PDV and it will have two solid stages," Dr Saraswat said. He revealed that the DRDO would begin ground-testing of AD-1 next year, a missile meant to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

The DRDO-developed missile shield uses a system of long range radars and long-range missiles to shoot down incoming enemy missiles. The system has been tested successfully three times since December 2006. A fourth test in March this year was a failure. For the test planned in June, the DRDO now plans to replace the PAD-1 or the exo-atmospheric interceptor which has two stages, one liquid and one solid besides a 'kill vehicle' which destroys the enemy missile. It will be tested against an 'enemy' missile 100 km away.

An AAD missile being test fired from Wheeler Island

The PDV is a modified version of stage 1 missile interceptors which can shoot down intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) of upto 2,000 km range like Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. "The PDV will be the mainstay of the defence shield," Dr Saraswat said.

DRDO officials say this system will be the backbone of the missile defence shield until Phase 2 missiles are fully deployed. Phase 1 of the system is to be completed and ready for induction by next year.

Dr Saraswat said that the AD-1 and AD-2, extended range missiles meant to shoot down ICBMs, were on the drawing board and would be fielded by around 2012 under Phase 2 of the missile shield. "Ground testing of the AD-1 will begin next year and the AD-1 missile will be test-fired in 2012," Saraswat said. These would be capable of shooting down missiles which have ranges greater than 5,000 km. Phase 2 is far more challenging because it calls for detecting ICBMs hurtling at twice the speeds of intermediate range missiles. It not only requires bigger interceptor missiles flying at hypersonic speeds of between six and seven times the speed of sound (present missile interceptor speeds are between Mach 4 and Mach 5) but also radars to detect incoming ICBMs at ranges of over 1,500 km as opposed to the current detection ranges of over 600 km.

Phase 2 will be part of the DRDO's attempts at incrementally increasing the BMD capabilities of the home-grown system. The system has been successfully test-fired three times since December 2006-the first test shot of the exo-atmospheric interceptor downed a missile 45 km away; the second test a year later proved the endo-atmospheric or Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor which shot down an incoming ballistic missile 15 km away. A third test in March 2009 shot down a ballistic missile 48 km away. The interceptor used a 'gimbaled directional warhead' or a warhead only one side of which explodes close to an incoming ballistic missile, shattering it.

The DRDO has put into place the building blocks for developing extended range radars of over 1,500 km. The Phase 2 missiles will be in the class of the THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missiles deployed by the United States as part of its missile shield beginning this year. THAAD missiles can intercept ballistic missiles over 200 km away and track radars with ranges of over 1,000 km.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/100595/WEB%20EXCLUSIVE/new-missile-interceptor-test-in-end-june-drdo-chief.html

Prithvi Missile Warheads displayed during DefExpo India 2010