| K-6 | |
|---|---|
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | India |
| Service history | |
| In service | Under development |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Advanced Systems Laboratory (DRDO) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 50 t (55 short tons) |
| Length | >12 m (39 ft) |
| Diameter | >2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Warhead | 3,000 kg (6,600 lb), 4-6 MIRV nuclear/conventional weapon [1] |
| Engine | Solid-fuelled |
Operational range | 8,000 km (5,000 mi) [2] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 7 – Mach 7.5 (8,600–9,190 km/h; 5,300–5,710 mph; 2.4–2.55 km/s) [3] [4] |
Launch platform | S5-class submarine |
K-6 is an intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. The missile has a planned range of more than 8000 Kilometres. [5]
Admiral Arun Prakash wrote in 2018 that the missile range of the Arihant-class submarines is not sufficient to target potential adversaries of India; a missile with a range of around 6,000-8,000 kilometres [6] would be required for this task to be performed by a submarine patrolling in a "safe haven". [7]
When the missile payload limitations of the Arihant-class were realised, India began developing the S5-class of submarines and the K-6 ballistic missiles. [8] The developmental work for these missiles started in February 2017 at the Advanced Systems Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with a completion target of less than ten years. [8]
The K-6 is an intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile. [9] [10] It is a three-stage missile and is solid fuelled. It is planned to armed with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles and will have a range of around 8,000 to 12,000 kilometres with a three-tonne payload. It has a planned length of over 12 metres and a diameter of over 2 metres. [8] It will be able carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. [11]
The K-6 is being developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory of (DRDO) since 2017. [8] Testing of the K-5 missile will assist in developing the K-6. [12]
