India's Strategic Nuclear Command

Video News: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/agni-v-indias-first-inter-continental-ballistic-missile-launched-successfully/229728?hp
Edited later: This video link got changed by the source news website. It was a different video when i first posted it and had technical info. Anyway I will link a news website. Here: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-launches-5000-km-range-agni-5-missile-successfully/472012/

Congrats!

^^^ You are right Garry. So far only negative reactions have come from China only and that is understood.
Although I dont think India is that close to US. There are many proofs of that such as India disagrees with US on importing oil from Iran on which US has put a lot of pressure on India to stop and import from Saudi Arabia instead. I agree that India wont be daddy in a relationship with US. Although US is quite important for India to have a good working relationship due to reasons such as trade, Afghanistan-Pakistan and China etc. But neither is US gonna fight India's war with China neither is India going to fight US's war with China. But having good relationship with US helps Indian interests in Australia, Japan, and Western Europe since these regions do follow a US official policy somewhat and if you are in good terms with US, you are automatically in good terms with these countries as well.

Some official confirmation on Agni-4 and Agni-5 Single Digit Accuracy

Agni-V vital
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/agniv-vital-tessy-thomas/article5191824.ece

Missile woman” Tessy Thomas on Monday said work was under way for a canister-based launch of the 5,000-km-range Agni-V strategic missile, the second successful test-firing of which took place in mid-September.

Ms. Thomas, Project Director of the 4,000-km-range Agni-IV and Project Director (Mission) of Agni-V, said both missiles saw the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) attain great breakthroughs in missile technology. Agni-V, test-fired with “pinpoint, single-digit accuracy,” was important in the global scenario, obliquely referring to the ICBM range of the nuclear-capable missile.


(Canister-based launch of the missile is expected to enhance its operational readiness and flexibility.)
Speaking at the Engineers’ Day celebration organised by the Association of Engineers, Kerala, Ms. Thomas said she had little understanding of missile systems when in the mid-1980s, she was handpicked to undergo an M.Tech. course in missile technology at the Institute of Armament Technology, which had since become the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT).


A.P.J. Abdul Kalam took a liking for her project on “gyro-less inertial navigation” and deputed her to work on the Agni series of missiles, for which she eventually designed the guidance scheme.


Ms. Thomas said that while the two-stage Agni-III missile capable of hitting targets up to 3,000 km away weighed 50 tonnes, the team was able to bring down the weight of the missile to 22 tonnes.


“It saw several technological enhancements and we had to redesign the entire system, use maraging steel and composite motor rocket,” she said.


Agni-V, which is believed to have given India a true ICBM, was testimony to Indian missile technology attaining maturity, she said.

Ms. Thomas cited biotechnology as an area where engineers could work wonders with “smart material.” For instance, use of Mems-based (micro-electromechanical systems) sensors could warn about impending damage to aircraft frame, which could then repair itself by reconfiguring, she said.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Day-of-bouquets-brickbats-for-engineers/2013/10/01/article1812412.ece

“We faced a lot of challenges while developing the Agni series. Scientific inputs were available but technology had to be made indigenously,” said Tessy. The latest in the series Agni IV and V was totally a technical challenge but however, having successfully developed it, the country has been established as a technologically advanced nation now. This progress was evident, she said, as no other country has achieved the single digit pin point accuracy that India has achieved. As part of the celebrations, two students, Anjana B from NIT-Calicut and Ashwathi Shaji from Trivandrum College of Engineering, were awarded Vishveshwarya gold medal.

India test-fires nuclear-capable Nirbhay cruise missile

Nirbhay will be backbone of ‘cold-start,’ say experts

Nirbhay, India’s first long-range subsonic cruise missile, which was test-fired on October 17, can be a game-changer in India’s strategic calculus, defence analysts and strategic experts feel.

Capable of flying at a tree-top altitude for over 1,000 km, Nirbhay can carry out surgical strikes and thus back up India’s “cold start” doctrine that envisages limited, precise strikes across the border. The introduction of nuclear weapons in the subcontinent has virtually stalled a conventional Indian response to Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism.

“India is confronted with the problem of developing a strategy to counter Pakistan’s ‘first-strike’ and continuing proxy war,” says Dr. Monika Chansoria, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She points out that Pakistan cites “India’s conventional military threat” to maintain its own offensive strategic posture and India will have to develop a response to this.

In this context, “cold start” has been put forward as an offensive doctrine by the Indian strategic establishment. Though “officially denied,” its presence is widely acknowledged in strategic circles.

In the event of an Indian offensive, a volley of missiles flying low can effectively take out key command and control centres, blunting the resistance to the advancing armoured columns.

“The successful indigenous development of Nirbhay cruise missile will fill a vital gap in the war-fighting capabilities of our armed forces,” Avinash Chander, Director-General, Defence Research and Development Organisation, said after the test launch on October 17.

Defence analyst Rahul Bedi observes that Nirbhay will be a force multiplier to the in-waiting “cold start” doctrine, but the doctrine itself is a non-starter as of now for lack of critical assets such as artillery, armour and helicopters. The Army has to fast-forward acquisition and induction of these platforms.

In the short-term, experts believe that Nirbhay, along with its shorter-range supersonic sibling BrahMos, will form the backbone of the doctrine.

India Successfully Test Launches Nuclear Capable Agni-II Rocket

MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti) - The Indian military successfully conducted a test launch of a medium-range nuclear capable Agni-II ballistic missile from a rocket pad in Orissa.

The rocket was launched from Wheeler’s Island in Bhadrak district as part of a routine user test exercise, according to the Times of India.

"The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from a mobile launcher from the Launch Complex-4 of Integrated Test Range at around 9.40 am," India’s defense officials said.

The Agni-II missile has two solid fuel stages; its range is 2,000 km. The first test of a nuclear-capable Agni-II occurred in 2010, and has been operated by India’s military ever since.

"The entire trajectory of the trial tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships located near the impact point in the down range area of the sea," said an Indian military scientist of today’s test, as quoted by the Daily Bhaskar.

Agni-II also carries an elaborate highly accurate navigation system and is directed during its flight from the ground command as well. The rocket weighs 17 tons and it is capable of delivery of a one-ton nuclear warhead.

Agni-II is the main staple of the Indian military’s nuclear force, and the rocket’s main value is its easy transportability. The rocket can be moved by rail and road networks. This means that a large part of India’s nuclear deterrent is not kept in rocket silos, which are vulnerable for attacks. By relying on a mobile nuclear rocket force, India can more efficiently respond to hostile first strikes in case of nuclear war.

Within the 2,000-km range of the Agni-II is most of mainland China, Iran and Central Asia, part of the Arabic Peninsula and the whole of Indochina. The previous Agni-II test launch was conducted on April 7, 2013 and was a success as well.

India Successfully Test Fires Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile: Reports

India has successfully tested Agni-IV, a nuclear capable ballistic missile. It has a maximum range of 3,500 km and can carry a payload of 800 kg.

MOSCOW, December 2 (Sputnik) – India has successfully conducted the first user trial of the Agni-IV intermediate range ballistic missile, The Times of India reported Tuesday.

The Agni-IV was tested from Wheeler Island off the eastern Indian state of Odisha by the Indian army's Strategic Forces Command (SFC).

The entire flight from the missile's lift-off till the splashdown in the Indian Ocean lasted 15 minutes.

Agni-IV is a two-stage nuclear capable intermediate range ballistic missile equipped with advanced avionics, including a fifth-generation computer and distributed architecture. The missile has a maximum range of 3,500 kilometers and is capable of carrying a payload of 800 kg.

The Agni missiles are a group of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles designed in India. The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed and tested in 1991.

India to Test Nuclear-Capable Agni-5 Missile on January 31



The India’s Defense Research and Development Organization, the country’s premier defense research institution, will test-fire the missile on the same day that Avinash Chander will step down as its chief.

NEW DELHI, January 29 (Sputnik) – India will conduct the third test of the Agni-5, a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, on January 31, a source at the institution responsible for the launch told Sputnik Thursday.
The India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the country’s premier defense research institution, will test-fire the missile on the same day that Avinash Chander will step down as its chief, the source added.
The Indian government terminated Chander's contract on January 13 citing his age.
The Agni-5 is a three-stage ballistic missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton warhead with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). It has been dubbed the “China-killer” by media, as it is capable of hitting major Chinese cities such as Beijing.

Congrats to India

India Successfully Test Fires Ship-Based Nuclear-Capable Missile

The Indian armed forces successfully test-fired a new short range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Indo-Asian News Service reports, citing the country's military R&D agency DRDO.

The missile, dubbed the Dhanush, was test fired at approximately 11:45 am Tuesday local time from the Indian Navy's INS Subhadra patrol vessel in the Bay of Bengal off the country's east coast.

The Dhanush, which has undergone extensive testing since 2012, is a naval variant of the Prithvi III, an Indian-made tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization, the national agency charged with military research and development.

The missile is capable of holding both conventional and nuclear payloads of up to 500 kg, and is capable of targeting both land and sea-based targets at a range of 350 km or less.

DRDO sources confirmed that the test was successful, with the missile reaching its designated target.

The missile has already been introduced to the country's armed forces.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20151124/1030667313/indian-missile-test.html#ixzz3sQV7pyY6

India Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile, US Looks the Other Way

In a major sign of the country’s growing military prowess, India has launched a surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. The test highlights Washington’s hypocrisy when it comes to nuclear development.

The Prithvi-II missile, first tested in 1996, officially entered service with the Indian military in 2003, but has had a mixed success rate. In 2010, for instance, a missile specifically built for testing purposes failed.

On Monday, the Indian military launched an unarmed Prithvi-II randomly selected from its stockpile. While the missile missed its intended target, it did achieve the desired altitude and distance.

In theory, this gives New Delhi the ability to launch a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into Pakistan.

India developed nuclear weapons in 1998, but because they were not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, few third-party countries would provide New Delhi with the missiles necessary to carry the weapons that could effectively deter an attack from Pakistan.

The Chinese government reportedly aided Pakistan’s development of nuclear-capable missiles. India’s latest test means that tensions could increase between the long-time rivals, with both New Delhi and Islamabad capable of using the threat of nuclear warfare over the conflict in Kashmir.

The United States has repeatedly discouraged India from developing ballistic missiles, but its response to this month’s test is decidedly different from the one given in the wake of North Korea’s recent actions.

Earlier this month, Pyongyang launched a satellite into orbit. Washington fiercely criticized the move as a veiled attempt at testing North Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities.

"Our concern though is that they do a space-launch but really it’s the same technology to develop ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles]," a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ahead of the launch.

Following that incident, President Barack Obama felt compelled to assure South Korea of the strength of their alliance.

"The United States stands in solidarity with the ROK [South Korea] and will take the necessary steps to fulfill our ironclad commitment to defend the ROK and our other allies in the region," Obama told South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest announced that President Obama plans to sign a bill that will impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang.

"The administration is deeply concerned with North Korea’s recent actions and their recent provocations, and I can confirm the president does plan to sign H.R. 757, which includes sanctions measures against North Korea and will serve to increase pressure on North Korea," Earnest told reporters.

Washington has given no indication that it will pursue similar sanctions against India.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160218/1034935674/india-ballistic-missile-test.html#ixzz40Tz2xfmQ

DRDO secretly tests nuclear-capable K-4 underwater missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has reportedly test-fired the nuclear capable K-4 missile, improving India's deterrence capability in the wake of India's "No First Use" policy regarding the use of nuclear weapons, the New Indian Express reported, citing a reliable defence source.

The K-4 missile is a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) with a range of 3,500 kms. The trial was aimed at testing the operational range efficacy of the missile. The source revealed that the missile was tested on Monday from a 30 feet deep sea underwater pontoon, offshore Vizag coast.

The report noted that the DRDO remained "tight-lipped" about the test. The source revealed that the take off was "smooth" following the "successfully ejecting" the missile from pontoon.

The K-series of missiles have been shrouded in secrecy since they will eventually be part of the inventory of India's indigenous nuclear Arihant-class submarines. There are conflicting reports suggesting that the missile, when operationalised, will be used in INS Airhant or INS Aridhaman.

Earlier reports have detailed that the missile is the best in its class, is manoeuvrable and has an innovative system and the ability to cruise when at hypersonic speed. The K-4 missile belongs to the K-series of missiles which are designed to be "faster, lighter and stealthier."

Indian and Pakistani nuclear arsenal

India demonstrated its nuclear deterrence capability by testing the Prithvi II MRBM. Over the next two days, it has lined up tests of an Advanced Air Defense Interceptor and Agni I missiles.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/military/201611211047671800-india-nuclear-missile-test/

India carried out a test launch of Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the state of Odisha in the west of India, Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) at the Indian Defense Ministry said Monday.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/asia/201612261048996840-india-ballistic-missile/

India's defense Ministry announced the successful test of ICBM Agni-5

The Indian ministry of defense conducted another missile test agni-5. Test launch was held on a special testing ground, equipped on the island, abdul kalam off the coast of odisha. This is the sixth testing of promising intercontinental ballistic missile, reports "Warspot" with reference to the portal Indiatimes. Com. In the Indian defense ministry said that the tests were successful, but to disclose details of the start-up refused. Stated that the missile hit the target at a maximum claimed range of 5000 km. According to specified characteristics, length agni-5 is about 17 m, weight 50 t missile can carry a warhead weighing more than 1 ton and with high precision, to hit targets at a distance of 5000 km.

It is assumed that the claimed data is especially low, but in reality agni-5 covers the distance up to 8000 km and carries a warhead weighing about 1. 5 tons. Agni-5 with a claimed range of 5000 km. Is the most "Long-range" agni family of missiles. The Indian armed forces are missile agni-1 (range — 700 km), agni-2 (2,000 km), agni-3 (2,500 km) and agni-4 (3500 km). Currently, India is developing missiles agni-6 with the possibility of underwater launch and flight range of 8000-10000 km.

http://weaponews.com/news/29678-india-s-defense-ministry-announced-the-successful-test-of-icbm-agni-5.html

India test fires Agni 5 with MIRVs.


Agni5 is both MIRV-ed and MaRV-ed. Not only do multiple warheads get deployed, but each warhead manoevres independently. Only way to shoot down the AGNI 5 will be at boost phase - needing a level of sat coverage only Russia, China and US has