India's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine

India's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine was launched by Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 26, 2010, at Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

The SSBN will be commissioned into the Navy in two years after completion of sea trials.

At a glance

Displacement: 6,000 tons
Length: 112m
Beam: 10m
Powerplant: 83 MWe PWR
Crew: 95
Surface Speed: 12-15 kts
Submerged Speed: 24 kts
Armament: 12 K-15 Sagarika missile, Torpedos, Torpedo launched cruise missiles

Overview

The Arihant is essentially a Navy project with BARC providing the reactor. The Navy designed the vessel, built its power plant, and did all the welding. Larsen and Toubro fabricated the hull. Various parts were built at Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Kalpakkam, and assembled at Visakhapatnam.

The project is led by Vice Admiral D S P Verma (retd).

The boat's hull, made of titanium steel with a beam of 10m, is built at Hazira, Gujarat. The submarine was assembled in a completely-enclosed dry-dock called the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam. 

Operational Status

On December 2, 2010, speaking at his annual press conference in New Delhi, Naval Chief Nirmal Verma indicated that there were some hiccups with commissioning the sub.

The delays were on account of the indigenous equipment that would be fitted on the submarine. "But I think we will be within time and commission the vessel by 2012," he added. 

As of September 6, 2010, the submarine had not completed its harbor trials and its nuclear reactor was yet to be fueled.

At the time of its launch, the submarine reactor was expected to be fueled and started in early 2010 following completion of harbor trials.

In an interview with The Hindu on September 2, 2010 Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), said:

"Our nuclear steam supply system is ready 100 per cent. From our (DAE) side, everything is ready. We are only waiting for other systems to become operational so that we can start the commissioning activity of the reactor. I really do not know when the harbour trials will be done."

Banerjee also confirmed that DAE is already building more reactors for the additional submarines.

Nuclear Power Plant

The submarine is powered by a miniature 83 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) fueled by highly enriched uranium. The reactor was reportedly developed with Russian assistance. 

This enriched uranium for the reactor comes from the Rare Materials Project, an undertaking of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), situated at Ratnahallai, near Mysore.

In the past BARC has built Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) which use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as coolant and moderator. PWR reactors use highly enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant and reactor.

Interestingly, the nuclear reactors that India imports in the future under the recently concluded Indo-US nuclear deal will be PWR reactors. By developing the submarine reactor BARC demonstrated that it had independently acquired PWR technology.

The challenge before BARC was to compact the reactor enough to fit it into the 10m diameter hull of the submarine.

"We have so far developed reactors built on the shore. But the submarine is a moving platform. It is rolling and pitching, and undergoes other kinds of motion. Against these, we have designed and developed this compact reactor. This is a major achievement," Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, BARC Director, told The Hindu.

Asked if the Russians helped in miniaturizing the reactor, Banerjee said:

"No, no. They were consultants...Consultancy was done for the whole submarine, not for the power plant alone."

A miniaturized PWR reactor, like the one on the Arihant, became critical inside a simulated submarine pressure hull at Kalpakkum on 11 November 2003. It was declared operational on 22 September 2006

has been running successfully since then.

The test reactor is fitted on a 42-meter-long land-based prototype submarine with eight compartments housing complex electrical and control systems and simulating ocean conditions.

Propulsion Reactor Project  director and Anil Kakodkar, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), showed the test reactor to media person a week after the launch of Arihant.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Banerjee put Russian assistance in developing the reactor in perspective.

“We have used the Russians as consultants. As far as efforts in designing, developing and maintaining the reactor are concerned, they are entirely ours,” the BARC Director said.

S. Basu, Director, BARC Facilities at Kalpakkam, also asserted that “everything is totally indigenous” about the PWR developed at Kalpakkam. “It has been developed by us. It is 100 per cent our reactor,” he said. 

Enough Enriched Uranium for the Submarine Reactors

In an interview with The Hindu on September 2, Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), confirmed that DAE will have enough enriched uranium to fuel the reactors of INS Arihant, as well as the follow-up submarines. 

"Our Ratnahalli plant capacity has been enhanced. But more than that, there is significant improvement in our technology. Usually, a term called Separating Work Units (SWUs) defines the technology level that we have achieved in this, and I can assure you that there has been considerable improvement in SWUs of our next generation caskets of centrifuges. The separating capacity of our centrifuges has improved. So total capacity enhancement at Ratnahalli has been done. We are confident of supplying the entire fuel for the set of….

"You cannot say anymore that India does not have enrichment technology. India has its own technology and we can produce [enriched uranium]. We have not started doing it for large-scale commercial nuclear power stations, which require a much larger quantity of enriched uranium. We will be able to do that once we go to Chitradurga.(Special Material Enrichment Facility in Chitradurga district in Karnataka)."

Based on Russian Charlie II subs

India is reported to have acquired design of the Charlie II class nuclear submarines from Russia and the ATV was based on those designs. Along the way, in January 1988, India leased a Charlie class nuclear powered submarines from Russia to help the Navy familiarize itself with operating a nuclear submarine. The leased submarine was christened Chakra in the Indian Navy which operated it for three years. After the term of the lease ran out, the sub was returned to Russia.

The Arihant is 112m long as compared to 103m Charlie class subs, probably because of a section was added in the middle to accommodate its four missile tubes.

Its 10m beam is the same size as a Charlie class sub.

Like the Charlie II subs, Arihant has a single nuclear power plan which gives it a rather limited underwater speed of 24 kts. Not enough to chase warships or get away from them when it is detected.

During the launch of INS Arihant on Sunday, July 26, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not mince words while acknowledging Russia's role in the fruition of the challenging project.

"I would also like to express our appreciation to our Russian friends for their consistent and invaluable cooperation, which symbolizes the close strategic partnership that we enjoy with Russia," he said.

Additional project details

A total of three submarines of the Arihant class are proposed to be built over the next five years. Hulls for two additional Arihant class subs are currently being built at Hazira,

The launch of the submarine was initially planned for January 26, 2009.

"Things are in the final stage now in the ATV (advanced technology vessel) project. There were bottlenecks earlier...they are over now," minister A K Antony on Wednesday, February 11, during Aero India-2009.

The ATVs 100-member crew has undergone training in a locally developed simulator and at the School for Advanced Underwater Warfare, also at Visakhapatnam.

The launch date marks the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the Kargil War.

The launch involved floating the submarine in SBC by flooding the drydock. Later the submarine will be towed out to an enclosed pier for its Harbor Acceptance Trials (HATs), which will be followed by Sea Acceptance Trials (SATs).

The HATs and SATs are expected to last one-and-a-half year, after which the submarine will undergo weapon trials.

The boomer submarines is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy within 2-3 years.

Weapon fit

The ATV will reportedly be equipped with 12 launch tubes of 2.4m diameter each. Initially, each missile tube will likely accommodate 3 0.74m diameter K-15 Sagarika missile. Later the tubes could accommodate the 2.0m diameter Agni IIISL (The submarine launched version of the Agni V / Agni 3+) missiles with MIRV capability.

Sagarika has a range of approximately 700 km (435 miles). It was last tested on February 26, 2008, off the coast of Visakhapatnam from a pontoon simulating the conditions of a submarine.
In addition to ballistic missiles, Arihant will eventually also have the capability to launch curise missiles through its torpedo tubes.

The Navy hopes to induct the first ATV by 2012.

Nuclear Submarine Base

India is reported to be constructing a nuclear submarine base on its eastern coast that will be named INS Varsha on commissioning. The Indian Navy spent about Rs 18 crore on the project in 2009 and 2010.

According to the Deccan Herald, the government sanction close to Rs 160 crore in the 2011-12 budget for the project, of which Rs 58 crore has been allocated for civil works and the the rest for setting up a VLF communication system.

The new base will berth the INS Arihant as well as INS Chakra, the Akula - 2 nuclear attack submarine being leased by India from Russia.

Two indigenous nuclear subs that are believed to be under construction are likely to be ready by 2020.

Analysis

Though the Arihant is based on the Charlie II class, it likely incorporates a lot of advancements in propulsion, noise suppression, command and control, communication and sonar that the Russians learnt since they built the Charlie II subs, as well as what the Indians learnt while building German HDW 209 1500 submarines – INS Shalki and INS Shankul - in the late eighties to early nineties.

Unofficial illustrations of the boat show elements of Akula design like the towed sonar at the aft. However, Arihant is unlikely to be based on the Akula II or the more modern Graney class Russian subs, as reported in some sections of the press, since these subs use a twin hull design and are therefore considerably heavier. Not surprisingly the Akula is powered by a 190 MW reactor.

It is likely India has sourced components like propellers and shafts from Russia for the boat to minimize risks.

The stress must have been on building a safe nuclear propulsion unit and adding ballistic missile launching capability to the submarine.

A lot of recent speculation in the press has focused on the nuclear propulsion of the Arihant with many analysts saing that the success of the project depended on its reactor reaching criticality. BARC has an excellent track record and the reactor is likely to have been tested before being fitted. Nuclear subs routinely power up and down. There is good reason to believe that problems with the reactor have long been sorted out.

Once Arihant's nuclear propulsion is proven the stress will shift to weapon testing.

The Sagarika's limited range of 700km makes it inadequate even as a deterrent against Pakistan, let alone China.

There have been misleading press reports that as a vital component of the India's credible minimum deterrent strategy, Arihant is designed to lurk in littoral waters of Pakistan and China to fire its very limited range nuclear missiles in case India comes under a nuclear attack. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It will be years, more likely decades, before the Navy acquires the confidence to send an Arihant class nuclear submarine close to the Chinese or even Pakistani mainland. At the very least the sub would need to repeatedly demonstrate its ability to operate under the sea for months without returning to base.

Arihant's limited underwater speed of 24 kts makes it incapable of running away from modern warships once detected. Nuclear subs tend to be noisy when operating at max speeds, Arihant will in all probability be very noisy.

As soon as the submarine is deployed on patrol its movement will be tracked by the Americans and possibly by the Chinese.

There isn't a boomer armed with nuclear missiles in the open oceans that isn't being tracked by America. Russian boomers that threaten America are essentially those that are lurking under the ice in the Arctic circle or in Russian coastal waters.

China has operated nuclear submarines for over 25 years now, but none of their submarines have ventured too far away from the Chinese mainland. Their subs are, however, equipped with missiles that can be launched at the US mainland from within Chinese waters.

The acknowledged range of the Sagarika missile, 700 km, is likely its range with a 500 kg warhead. With a lighter nuclear warhead it could conceivably go as far as 1500 km. Deployed in Indian territorial waters the Arihant can threaten Pakistan but not China.

Hopefully, DRDO will be ready with the Agni IIISL within a year or two which will give Indian Strategic Command the option to launch counter value nuclear strikes on mainland China from within Indian waters.

It could well be another 5 years before that capability is reached.

It could probably be a decade before an Arihant nuclear submarine leaves the Indian ocean.

It is likely that followup nuclear subs will accommodate more sections to carry at least 12 launch tubes insteade of the four that the sub currently carries. They will need more powerful nuclear power plants to propel their greater weight and achieve speeds in excess of 30 kts

The ATV project appears to be well conceived and carefully calibrated. It has a good chance of succeeding despite past delays. Indian nuclear and missile technology is well developed and reasonably advanced, though DRDO's past record has not always been stellar.

Arihant Followup Submarines

The Arihant submarine is a technology demonstrator. 

A second submarine of its class is already under construction.

In July 2011 a high ranking sources told Deccan Chronicle that the keel of the project has been laid and the initial work is on full swing at a classified facility in Visakhapatnam.. The submarine is expected to be ready for sea trials by 2015.

The laying of the keel with 24 months of the launch of the first nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, reflected the growing maturity of the program, the sources said.

“The second program took far lesser time than Arihant to reach the shipyard from the drawing board. This time we had a clear plan and we had learned a lot from our mistakes,” sources said.

It was earlier reported that the reactors for the two follow-up nuclear submarines is already under construction.

Though exact details of the project's progress are not available, it is learnt that fabrication of the hull and body has begun. The reactor has been fabricated with the help of Russia.

Three submarines are being built under the ATV project, with the third being of a much larger size.

Indian Navy's long term acquisition plans include three SSBN and six SSN submarines.

News

Outgoing Russian ambassador, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, claimed in an interview in July that India's recently launched nuclear powered submarine – INS Arihant – is an Akula class submarine.

***

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma indicated that INS Arihant will be commissioned into the Navy with its full complement of ballistic missiles within two years.

"Work is going on apace. We will put it through sea trials. The timeframes will be done and closely monitored," he said.

The Naval Chief also indicated that India will continue to build nuclear submarines in the future to optimally utilize its huge investments in the project.

WE are Friends

Two summits in three months is unusual, even considering the strategic ties India and Russia have nurtured for over five decades.
On March 12, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited India for the fifth time, with the previous four having been whilst he was President. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also in Moscow last December as part of what has become an annual dialogue taking place each winter. Since 2000, Putin has either visited Singh or received him in Moscow. In 2000, he told then defence minister George Fernandes: ‘Please tell your people, I am India’s best friend.’
Many across the globe, not just Indians, regard Putin as the most significant leader to have emerged from post-Soviet Russia.
As a host, Putin ensured that Singh sat on the same table as former United States President George W. Bush in St Petersburg during the city’s tri-centenary celebrations. That got the civil nuclear deal, and much else, going between India and the US.
Moscow’s gestures have helped India, while also consolidating ties with the West, whilst importantly maintaining a balance. And balance remains the key word.
Despite an armoury full of Soviet weapons, India did not hesitate to purchase the Jaguar and Mirage 2000 fighter jets. Rajiv Gandhi, hailed as the future of India by Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s, flew unscheduled from Washington to Moscow.
The latest Putin visit was barely 22 hours long. However, its significance, rather than in the hours spent talking, must be measured in the USD10 billion worth of deals and parleys on a number of issues where interests converge.
At the top is the price-fixing at USD2.3 billion of Admiral Gorshkov, the aircraft carrier India calls Vikramaditya, ending years of dispute. Left with just one aircraft carrier, the Indian Navy needs it for maritime security across an Indian Ocean region that has witnessed increasing piracy and terror threats on its western and south-eastern flanks. A nuclear-powered submarine will also be with the Indian Navy for the next ten years.
It is passé to lampoon the presence Russian armaments in Delhi’s defence and diplomatic circles, but at 70 per cent, Russia clearly remains the India’s number one supplier of defence hardware.
Moreover, the two countries are moving from mere supplies to joint research and development and joint ventures. The latest of these is a fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft. There is technology transfer between India and Russia that the West, in general, is not ready for.
A slew of other agreements, including two each in the civil nuclear sphere and fertilisers, and one in civilian space programme, were inked during the visit.
Indian officials say energy is emerging as a focus between oil and gas-rich Russia and energy-starved India, always on the lookout for new fuel sources to power its economy.
Russia is way ahead of others on nuclear power. Construction of as many as 16 nuclear power plants at three different sites in India, six of them to be completed by 2017, is envisaged.
Two more reactors (units five and six) at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and two reactors at Haripur in West Bengal during the 12th Plan period (2012 to 2017) are on the way.
The pact also outlines the timeline for the steps to be taken for the construction of Kudankulam units three and four.
Yet for all the bonhomie, at just over USD7.5 billion last year, bilateral trade turnover between India and Russia is miniscule and the two countries aim to lift it to USD20 billion by 2015.
Putin adopted a direct approach, talking to Indian entrepreneurs and cultural figures in different cities through a live webcast, telling them: ‘We should think about the future. There is the political will on both sides, but we need support from the captains of industry.”
A fresh sparkle to economic ties was added as Russian state monopoly Alrosa signed a clutch of agreements with Indian companies. Alrosa, which produces about a quarter of the world’s rough diamonds, plans to supply about USD1 billion worth of unpolished stones to India this year. This is a joint message to Israel and South Africa, who dominate the scene, that India is a global leader in the value-addition and marketing of the precious stones.
India and Russia have never been prisoners of bilateral ties because of a confluence of mutual interest on a myriad of issues.
Indeed, India is looking to spread its net wider. It is looking to keep its autonomy vis-à-vis the US with which it has warmed up in the last decade, despite the immense benefits it has derived.
India is looking for alternative routes to achieve its strategic and diplomatic objectives in the South Asian region and globally, and finds in Russia a willing partner.
The reason is not far to see in the current scenario. New Delhi finds that Washington is not the same as it was under Bush, whose ‘global war on terror’ is out with the Barack Obama administration.
The much-touted Afghanistan-Pakistan situation poses a challenge, perhaps a greater one than when the Taliban was ruling in Kabul. At least, Delhi sees it that way and it is not alone. Russia, the Central Asians and Iran, all directly affected, also have similar fears.
Hence this warming up to Moscow; hence the tightrope walks with Iran, voting with Iran’s critics on the nuclear issue but keeping ties with Iran close.
For similar reasons, India is moving close to the Gulf. Singh was recently in Riyadh to consolidate yet another ‘strategic partnership’ with Saudi Arabia. Besides a doubling of crude supplies, he sounded the Saudis on what they thought of the Afghanistan-Pakistan situation and probed how far they would go on the vexed Kashmir issue.
Professor A. K. Pasha of Jawaharlal Nehru University has pointed out that since 9/11, the Saudis have realised that the Taliban and Pakistan’s support for them harms the region. The new Saudi stance interlinks West Asia’s security with South Asia. Riyadh has offered its good offices to resolve the Kashmir issue.
India and Russia want to send identical messages to their intended targets. Both want to tell the US and NATO that unlike them, they are part of a region where the Afghanistan-Pakistan situation affects them directly.
For anyone who cares to take note, Putin’s visit has marked a new phase of evolution and confirmed the emergence of a multi-polar world.

Losser China print Indian currency (ILLEGAL)

New Delhi: India’s battle against counterfeit currency took a decidedly sharp turn when recent intelligence inputs indicated that its neighbour, China, is emerging as a possible source and conduit for fake Indian currency notes (FICN) meant to destabilise the Indian economy.
A report confirms for the first time that fake currency worth crores is being sent via “staging posts” and “distribution networks (which) have been established in China,” among six other nations. The report was prepared on March 17, 2011, by compiling key inputs from intelligence agencies such as the RAW, IB, DRI as well as investigativeorganisations like the CBI.
In fact, on Thursday, Indian intelligence notched up one of its biggest successes in combating counterfeit currency by helping Nepal authorities arrest a Pakistani national carrying fake Indian currency totalling Rs55 lakh. “We are examining the source and conduit for these notes, but it could be even from China,” a senior intelligence official said.
While the arrest has further underscored the financial threat from India’s neighbours, the report noted that the common strategy was to print the fakes in Pakistan from where it was then sent to network operators in countries like China and then handed over to “wholesale” agents in India.
“Subsequently these wholesale agents would forward it to individual group networks based in other parts of India,” an official privy to the report told DNA.
“China was always known to be the biggest conduit for drugs in South-East Asia, and the same routes used to smuggle drugs is now being used as the conduit for fake currency,” said Jayadeva Ranade, a former additional secretary in R&AW who has spent decades studying China. “In fact this also makes sense because we always knew that operators in Thailand could produce some of the best quality of fake Indian currency. These could then be facilitated (transported) through China before ending up in Indian markets.”
India is, however, not the only target. The report noted that the same counterfeiters were also keen on fake US dollars which could be used to destabilise the American economy. “There are clear signs of the usage of these well-developed global networks to counterfeit other currencies such as the US dollar.” This, intelligence sources told DNA, could be another reason for China’s growing interest in becoming a conduit for fake currency.
Besides destabilising the Indian economy, fake currency was also used for financing terror attacks in India. Indian intelligence now has evidence to prove that one of the key planners of the 26/11 Mumbai terror-attack, David Coleman Headley, used fake currency to fund his operations here.
“The use of FICN by terrorists, including David Headley, leave no doubt that FICN is an important source of terror financing for elements sponsored by the ISI in India,” the report said. In fact, underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, and his associates have also been found to aid this massive terror financing with fake currency.
Currently, there are 15 cases of fake Indian notes “being used for terror financing” with the Indian security establishment. Besides China, other major distribution and staging posts for fake Indian currency “have been established in UAE, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka”.
In fact, Indian intelligence has found evidence of these networks in Europe as well when in July this year two men were arrested in Amsterdam carrying fake Indian currency worth Rs7 lakh. “The most important global FICN networks are supervised and controlled by 28 gangsters based in six countries,” the report said.

India's Shourya missile test sucessful

Earlier Broadsword reporting on the Shourya/Shaurya:

DRDO chief, Dr VK Saraswat, to Broadsword: “We have designed the Shaurya so that it can be launched from under water as easily as from land. The gas-filled canister that houses the missile fits easily into a submarine."

Former DRDO chief controller, Dr Prahlada, to Broadsword: “The Shaurya was developed from ground up as a submarine-capable missile. Every piece of technology for fitting it in a submarine is already in place."

Dr Saraswat to Broadsword: “I would say the Shaurya a hybrid propulsion missile. Like a ballistic missile, it is powered by solid fuel. And, like a cruise missile, it can guide itself right up to the target.”

On Saturday, the DRDO announced a second successful flight test for its Shourya missile. With a range of 700-750 km, the Shourya is designed as an subsurface-to-land missile, for Indian submarines. Read a more detailed analysis in Broadsword: "Shaurya surfaces as India's underwater nuclear missile", published on 17th Feb 2010. The article is in the Broadsword archives, accessible by all visitors.

The latest DRDO press release is pasted below:

Shourya Missile Successfully Flight Tested

New Delhi: Asvina 02, 1933

Saturday, Sep 24, 2011

The 700- km range Shourya Missile was successfully flight tested from Launch Complex III of Interim Test Range (ITR), Balasore today. Developed by the DRDO, the Missile was launched from a canister in a ground launch mode at 1430 Hrs. The launch of the missile was perfect and it followed the pre-defined path exactly to reach the target in Bay of Bengal. All Radar, Telemetry and Electro-Optical Stations along the East Coast tracked and monitored all the mission parameters. Ships located near the target also tracked and witnessed the final event. Accuracy level of the missile was high and it was within a few metres. Shourya is equipped with multiple advanced computing systems, very high accuracy navigation and guidance systems.

DRDO Chief Controller Shri Avinash Chander congratulated all the scientists and employees of DRDO and other establishments. Director DRDL Shri P Venugoplalan, Director ITR Shri SP Dash, Director SPIC Shri Satish Kumar and Programme Director AK Chakravarti monitored all the preparatory operations. Shri A Joseph Project Director and team prepared the missile and conducted the launch flawlessly.

Indian Missile are coming ,china and pakistan can't escape

Agni-I was first tested at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in 1989, and is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1000 kg (2,200 lb) or a nuclear warhead. Agni missiles consist of one (short range) or two stages (intermediate range). These are rail and road mobile and powered by solid propellants.
The Agni I has a range of 700–800 km while the Agni-II has a range of 2,000–2,500 km. They are claimed to be a part of the "credible deterrence" against China and Pakistan. The Agni-II can only reach most parts of western, central and southern China. With the successful test of Agni-III which has a range of 3,500 km, it falls within the reach of most major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. Although, this missile has a range of about 6000 km, making it able to attack any Asian country.

Agni-III is the third in the Agni series of missiles. Agni-III was tested on July 9, 2006 from Wheeler island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa. After the launch, it was reported that the second stage of the rocket had failed to separate and the missile had fallen well short of its target. Agni-III was again tested on April 12, 2007, this time successfully, from the Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa.On May 7, 2008 India again successfully test fired this missile. This was the third consecutive test; it validated the missile's operational readiness while extending the reach of India's nuclear deterrent to most high-value targets of the nation's most likely adversaries.
It has been reported that the missile's Circular Error Probable (CEP) lies in the range of 40 meters, This would make the Agni-III most accurate strategic ballistic missiles of its range class in the world. This is of special significance because a highly accurate ballistic missile increases the "kill efficiency" of the weapon; it allows Indian weapons designers to use smaller yield nuclear warheads (200 Kiloton thermonuclear or boosted fission) while increase the lethality of the strike. This permits India to deploy a much larger nuclear force using less fissile/fusion material (Plutonium/Lithium Deuteride) than other World nuclear powers. Older ballistic missiles, such as those deployed by earlier nuclear powers required larger yield (1-2 Megaton) warheads to achieve the same level of lethality. It has also been reported that with smaller payloads, the Agni-II can hit strategic targets well beyond 3,500 km.


In May 2008 Indian scientists announced they had developed and patented a path-breaking technology that increases the range of missiles and satellite launch vehicles by at least 40%. The enhanced range is made possible by adding a special-purpose coating of chromium based material to a rocket's blunt nose cone. The material acts as a reactive-ablative coating that forms a thin low density gaseous layer at the tip of the rocket as it approaches hypersonic speeds; this super-heated gas layer reduces drag by 47% (at mach 7-8), thereby allowing range enhancements at least 40%. It has been announced that this technology will be incorporated in future Agni deployments after having undergone ranging and calibration tests.

Indian and Shri lankan joint naval execise

Six Indian Naval ships, INS Ranvijay, INS Shivalik, INS Gharial, INS Khanjar, INS Cheriyam and INS Coradiv, along with integral helicopters and a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating in ‘SLINEX-2011’, a joint exercise between the Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy, off Trincomalee from 19-23 September 2011.
An Indian Navy Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, is commanding the Indian ships participating in the exercise. 11 Sri Lankan Navy ships are participating in ‘SLINEX-2011’.
SLINEX-2011 will serve as a platform for exchanging useful experiences, enhancing interoperability and promoting mutual trust and understanding between the two Navies. It involves various naval exercises, including maneuvering exercises, Maritime Interdiction Operations, force protection measures, humanitarian and disaster relief and anti-piracy operations.
Apart from operational interactions, sports fixtures, presentations on topics of mutual interest and demonstration by the Sri Lanka Navy are also being organized.
During visits abroad for such exercises, Indian Naval ships regularly carry out community service. In line with this practice, the officers and men from the participating Indian ships visited the ‘Anbu Illam’ and ‘Sivananda Thapobanam’ Orphanages in Trincomalee and carried out community service, including painting of dormitories and beds, renewal of electrical wiring, plumbing work and other repair activities. The Indian Navy also handed out two months supply of provisions, medicines, fans, bulbs, paint and other essential commodities. They also had a chance to interact with the children at these orphanages.

World fatest missile BrahMos(India+Russia) technology

supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.
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. It is about three-and-a-half times faster than the U.S.A's subsonic Harpoon cruise missile. A hypersonic version of the missile is also presently under development (Lab Tested with 5.26 Mach Speed). Though India had wanted the BrahMos to be based on a mid range cruise missile, namely P-700 Granit, instead Russia opted for the shorter range sister of the missile, P-800 Oniks, in order to comply with MTCR restrictions, to which Russia is a signatory. Its propulsion is based on the Russian missile, and guidance has been developed by BrahMos Corp.

Details

The BrahMos PJ-10 is a short-range, ramjet powered, single warhead, supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed and manufactured by India and Russia. Ship-, air-, ground-, and submarine-launched versions exist. It is currently among the most formidable cruise missiles in development.

The BrahMos, which derives its name from the Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers in India and Russia, is based on the earlier Russian design for the SS-N-26 (3M55 Oniks) cruise missile.(1) In 1998, a joint venture was set up between the Indian Defense Ministry’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s Mashinostroyeniye Company. The two entities formed a company now known as Brahmos Aerospace, which would develop and manufacture the BrahMos PJ-10. Sources indicate that by 2006 India and Russia had already invested $300 million in the company.(2)

As an anti-ship missile, the BrahMos PJ-10 is distinguished by its reported supersonic speed of Mach 2.8, approximately one kilometer per second. In addition to making it difficult to intercept, this speed also imparts a greater strike power. In comparison, the U.S. RGM/UGM-109 “Tomahawk” cruise missile, which has been used successfully in both Iraq and Afghanistan, operates at a subsonic speed of less than Mach 1.0. Most other anti-ship missiles fly at subsonic speeds as well.

In addition, the BrahMos is equipped with stealth technology designed to make it less visible to radar and other detection methods. The missile also has a high level of accuracy, which has been established by recent test flights as close to 1 m CEP.(1) The missile operates on the “fire and forget” principle, meaning that once it has been launched, it will correctly strike its target without requiring any assistance. It has an inertial navigation system (INS) for use against ship targets, and an INS/Global Positioning System for use against land targets. Terminal guidance is achieved through an active/passive radar.

The BrahMos is designed to attack surface targets at altitudes as low as 10 m. The ship and ground-launched versions have a range of 300 km, while the air-launched version has a range of 500 km. The missile is powered by a solid propellant boost motor with a liquid-fuelled ramjet sustainer motor. The ship and ground-launched version is 8.2 m in length, has a body diameter of 0.67 m, carries a 300 kg payload, and has a launch weight of 3000 kg; the air-launched version is 8.0 m in length, has a diameter of 0.67 m, carries a 200 kg payload, and has a launch weight of 2200 kg. Both versions have four clipped tip delta wings at mid-body, with four small delta control fins at the rear. The BrahMos carries either a 200 or 300 kg high explosive semi-armor-piercing warhead or a 250 kg submunitions warhead.(1)

The first flight test of the BrahMos PJ-10 took place in June 2001. By April 2007, the missile had been tested at least fourteen times. The first eight tests were against ship targets and ended with the introduction of the missile into the Indian Navy in 2005. Several of the subsequent flights tested the missile against land-based targets and employed land-based launch platforms leading to the missile's introduction in the Indian Army in 2007. The missile is currently undergoing testing for air and submarine-launch systems. Flight tests aboard the Su-30 MKI aircraft probably began in 2009.(1)

The missile entered production in 2004. Initial production was probably fairly slow with about 10 to 15 missiles produced per year. It is believed that by 2008 production numbers had increased to around 40 missiles per year. About 360 missiles are expected to be produced for domestic use.(1) Some missiles will also probably be used by Russia. The BrahMos cooperation intends to export the missile rather widely. According to their webpage, exports can be expected to South Africa, Chile, Brazil, and a host of countries in the Middle East and Africa.(2)

A Brahmos II is currently in development. The Brahmos II promises to greatly exceed the speed of its predecessor and be available to the Indian Navy within several years.(2)

Specifications

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• Country : India
• Class : S/Su/L/ALCM
• Target : Land, Ship
• Length : 8.4 m
• Diameter : 0.67 m
• Launch Weight : 3900 kg (2500 kg for Air launched Variant)
• Payload : 200 kg HE / Conventional semi-armour-piercing warhead
• Propulsion : Ramjet w/ solid booster
• Range : 300 km
• Guidance : INS, GPS, active and passive radar

New base of submarines in India

The navy is coming up with a secret base on the east coast, under the code name Project Varsha, to berth its upcoming fleet of nuclear submarines.

India’s first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, under project Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), was launched for trials last year at the Visakhapatnam-based ship building centre (SBC). Arihant is still undergoing its criticality certification at the SBC.
The navy has plans to build five more such nuclear-powered submarines at SBC. The defence ministry also took over the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam last year from the ministry of shipping, so that it could use HSL’s facilities and infrastructure to build the submarines.
The new base, Project Varsha, will have special features to ensure safety of the submarines and the personnel onboard for maintenance. According to a source, the government would be taking the help of some other countries for the huge project as it required special fitments and attachments made of special material.
Located about 200 kilometres around Visakhapatnam at an undisclosed location, the base would be on the lines of the Chinese nuclear submarine base in Hainan island, the source said. The base will have accommodation and other facilities for the officers and men posted onboard.
The base would accommodate other submarines and ships if required, the source said, as a lot of vessels due for induction in the near future were facing space constraint.
Refusing to disclose the cost of the project and whether there would be any special facility for missiles, a source said, “Not sure when it would be ready. It might take time as it’s a special project and meant mainly for nuclear submarines.”

Indian army wants more tanks

India’s main battle tanks had one been relatively advanced by world standards, but long delays in fielding the indigenous “Arjun” MBT, combined with a successful Pakistani/Ukrainian program for its T-80UD “Al-Khalid” tanks, eroded India’s local advantage. The poor performance of T-72s in combat against modern main battle tanks could not have been comforting, either. In early October 2006, India Defence and Indian papers reported that the Indian Army intended to produce nearly 1,000 T90S ‘Bhishma’ main battle tanks in India by 2020. These would be bought in addition to the 310 T90 MBTs already under contract from Russia. Later that month, news reports noted a follow-on contract for another 330 T-90S tank kits from Russia that would assembled in India. Taken together those 2 firm production agreements reportedly exceed $1 billion.
The modernized T-72 now known as the T-90 has reportedly encountered serious problems in Indian service, from issues with its Thales thermal imaging systems, to difficulties in hot weather, to low readiness rates. Meanwhile, negotiations with Russia over technology transfer issues had shelved the 1,000 tank indigenous production goal, leaving only the 2 firm production agreements. The Arjun project has continued to fade, however, with the Indian Army announcing in July 2008 that production would be capped at just 124 tanks. As the final act in the battle for the core of India’s future tank force, recent reports indicate that the Russians have removed their technology transfer roadblocks, clearing the way for fully indigenous T-90S production in India…

• The T-90 in India: Directions and Delays
• Updates and Key Events

The T-90 in India: Directions and Delays

Arjun tank

As of December 2006, the 310 T-90S tanks imported from Russia under a February 2001 Rs 3,625 crore (about $795 million) contract are divided between the first lot of 124 T-90S tanks bought off-the-shelf, and 186 imported in knocked-down condition for assembly at the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi.
The goal was to begin progressive manufacture of the follow-on batch of 1,000 from 2007-2008 onward, working under the license production agreement associated with India’s 2001 order. The idea was to build upon and broaden India’s indigenous capabilities as the process moved forward.
The purchase of 330 more ready-for-assembly T-90 kits later in October 2006 would appear to be a deviation from this strategy, but as of August 2008, production of the fully localized Indian tanks has not even begun yet at the Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory. Jane’s believed that the order for the 330 sets of T-90S components was driven by chronic delays in the production schedule of the domestic Arjun MBT, and multi-year delays in T-72 modernization due to bureaucratic vacillation. This turned out to be partly correct; as DID has reported before, those are chronic problems in India’s defense market. It seems that there was also a problem with full Russian technology transfer, however, which held up production at Avadi.

T-80UD “Al-Khalid”

Confirmation of the T-90’s status as India’s future tank has also faced operational difficulties, including the in-service difficulties noted by an October 2007 MosNews’ report. These include repeated heat-related malfunctions of the fire-control system’s key Thales Catherine thermal imaging (TI) camera, lack of cooling systems leading to uninhabitable temperatures over 60C degrees (over 140F) inside the tank, and reports that at least one armored regiment had an in-service rate of just 25% for its T-90s.
The T-72s’ “Project Rhino” may eventually get started as well under the Army’s 2020 plans, adding reactive armor, electronics, sights, et. al. in collaboration with Israel, Poland and Russia. Persistent reports that many Indian T-72s lack effective IR-imagine equipment would appear to make such upgrades a priority item, but as Bharat-Rakshak notes, progress has been very slow.