Defence News
India’s New Missiles to break ground in 2018
India wants to be Missile import free by 2022 at least in one crucial weapons department and break its dependence on foreign suppliers, 2018 like 2017 will see some crucial developmental trials of DRDO and its associated lab developed Missiles ranging from Ballistic missile to Strategic missiles and we have lined up some of the missiles which will break ground this year hopefully .
MPATGM: Indian Ministry of Defence last year scrapped a long-pending, $1 billion anti-tank guided missile deal with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel.
DRDO since 2015 has been developing a 3rd Generation Man Portable Anti-tank guided missile which has seen countless static test of new rocket motor developed for the MPATGM and final fully fabricated MPATGM is likely to be tested for the first time this year since the project has been pursued at fast track mode due to urgent requirements for 3rd generation Man Portable Anti-tank guided missiles.
New generation anti-radiation missile (NGARM): 2017 saw DRDO developed NGARAM carrying out Captive flight trials from IAF’s Sukhoi-30MKI and it is expected to clear its first trials in 2018.
NGARM is a single-stage, solid-fueled system for the first time will feature the use of a dual-pulse propulsion system instead of thrust propulsion.
100km ranged NGARM is developed to pick up radiation or signals emitted by radars and communication systems, home onto the target and destroy the network.
NGARM will be crucial arsenal in enhancing India’s Air-to-Strike Capabilities.
Pralay: In 2015 will get to hear that DRDO has been tasked to develop a new Surface-to-surface tactical missile to provide troops conventional firepower on the battlefield.
Pralay is claimed to be China-centric missile developed to counter Short range missile arsenal which PLA will field.
Thier has been too much speculation on this new missile that we don’t want to add more to the speculation and are hopeful that this missile will make its debut in 2018 hopefully so that we get to know more about it.
SFDR: Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet tactical Air launched Missile is a new breed of an Air-to-Air missile which India has been jointly developing with good friend Russia.
SFDR aka Astra-2 is India’s first at Next generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) which will incorporate booster-ram jet sustainer propulsion system, which will propel new missile in the same class as MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
Tender documents suggest that DRDO is currently preparing to fire a new missile from a Ground-based launcher to test its ramjet engine before the missile can be equipped with new generation seekers and other sensors.
SFDR is still years away from being fired from a fighter aircraft but we are hopeful that in 2018 we will see Developmental Ground trials to validate its new propulsion concept and its in-flight design parameters.
Rudra M-2: Sanctioned 2016, Rudra M-2 is said to be a new class of Air-to-Surface missile system speculated to be derived from NGARM Program but for Precision long range anti-armour strike missions.
Since Missile will be an amalgamation of technology used in other missiles, we expect missile to be ready for first captive flights by this year and also shed some light on its actual mission profile.
SANT ( Stand-off Anti-tank ): In 2017 we get to hear for the first time that DRDO conducted captive trials of a new anti-tank missile to be deployed from Attack Helicopters.
SANT is speculated to be further development of DRDO’s HeliNa, (Helicopter-launched Nag) with improved range and better capabilities.
Agni-1P: DRDO has started work on replacing 80’s era Prithiv Surface to Surface Short ranged Ballistic missile with next-generation tactical Agni-1P SSM with a range of 300-700km.
Pakistani-centric Agni-1P will replace older Prithivi-1/2 series of SSM. Agni-1P will feature Truck mounted Canister launcher for greater mobility and reliability and hopefully, 2018 will see first flight trials of the new missile.
