| K-6 | |
|---|---|
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | India |
| Service history | |
| In service | Under development |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| Specifications | |
| Length | >12 m (39 ft) |
| Diameter | >2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Warhead | 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) MIRVed nuclear war-head |
| Engine | Solid-fuelled |
Operational range | 8,000 to 12,000 km (5,000 to 7,500 mi) |
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 around 10,000 to 12,000 kilometres. [1]
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 [2] would be required for this task to be performed by a submarine patrolling in a "safe haven". [3]
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. [1] The developmental work for these missiles started in February 2017 at the Advanced Naval Systems Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with a completion target of less than ten years. [1]
The K-6 is an intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile. [4] [5] 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. [1]
The K-6 is being developed by the Advanced Naval Systems Laboratory of (DRDO) since 2017. [1] Testing of the K-5 missile will assist in developing the K-6. [6]
A ballistic missile (BM) is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typically stay within the Earth's atmosphere, while most larger missiles are exo-atmospheric. The largest ICBMs are capable of full orbital flight. These weapons are in a distinct category from cruise missiles, which are aerodynamically guided in powered flight and thus restricted to the atmosphere.
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capability. They can fire missiles thousands of kilometers from their targets, and acoustic quieting makes them difficult to detect, thus making them a survivable deterrent in the event of a first strike and a key element of the mutual assured destruction policy of nuclear deterrence. The deployment of ballistic missile submarines is dominated by the United States and Russia. Smaller numbers are in service with France, the United Kingdom, China and India; North Korea is also suspected to have an experimental submarine that is diesel-electric powered.
The Agni-III is an Indian intermediate-range ballistic missile inducted into service in 2011 as the successor of the Agni-II. It has a range of 3,500 to 5,000 kilometres and can reach targets deep inside neighbouring countries including Pakistan & China.
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile. It was created on 4 January 2003 by the Vajpayee Government. Air Marshal Teja Mohan Asthana became its first commander-in-chief.
Prithvi is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). It is deployed by India's Strategic Forces Command.
A nuclear triad is a three-pronged military force structure of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers with nuclear bombs and missiles. Countries build nuclear triads to eliminate an enemy's ability to destroy a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack, which preserves their own ability to launch a second strike and therefore increases their nuclear deterrence.
Sagarika, also known by the code names K-15 or B-05 or PJ-08, is an Indian submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with a range of 750 kilometres (466 mi) that was designed for retaliatory nuclear strikes. It belongs to the K Missile family and forms a part of India's nuclear triad.
The Arihant-class is a class of Indian nuclear ballistic missile submarines under construction for the Indian Navy. They were developed under the ₹900 billion (US$11 billion) Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines. These vessels are classified as 'strategic strike nuclear submarines' by India.
The Agni missile is a family of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India, named after one of the five elements of nature. Agni missiles are long-range, nuclear weapons capable, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (lGMDP) and tested in 1989. After its success, the Agni missile programme was separated from the GMDP upon realizing its strategic importance. It was designated as a special programme in India's defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development. As of November 2019, the missiles in the Agni series are being inducted into service. The family comprises the following:
Shaurya is a canister-launched surface-to-surface tactical missile developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for use by the Indian Armed Forces. It has a range of 700 to 1,900 km and is capable of carrying a payload of 200 to 1,000 kg conventional or nuclear warhead.
Agni-V is a land based nuclear MIRV-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. The missile has a range of more than 7,000 km. It is a three-stage, road-mobile, canisterised and solid-fuelled ballistic missile. It is one of the fastest missile in the world reaching the speed up to 29,400 km/hr.
INS Arihant, designated S2 Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine, is the lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The 6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Agni-VI is an MIRV-capable intercontinental ballistic missile under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Armed Forces.
K-4 or Kalam-4 is a nuclear capable intermediate-range submarine-launched ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India to arm its Arihant-class submarines. The missile has a maximum range of about 4000 km which offers greater operational flexibility compared to its predecessor K-15 having a limited shore-bounding range. On deployment, the missile will be the first to operationalise India's sea-based nuclear triad and can accommodate the demand of credible second-strike capability of its nuclear doctrine.
The K family of missiles, is a family of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to boost its second strike abilities and thus augment its nuclear deterrence. Information about this family of missiles has mostly been kept classified. It is reported that 'K missiles' are faster, lighter and stealthier than their Agni missile counterparts. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) developed a new formulation of composite propellant that is more efficient and provide greater thrust compare to Agni missile series. The objective behind the development is to make K missile family faster and lighter without compromising on operational range.
India has studied, produced and used various strategic and tactical missile systems since its independence. Decades long projects have realised development of all types of missile systems including ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, air-defence, air-to-air and anti-missile systems. India is one of seven countries in the world with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and one of four countries with anti-ballistic missile systems. Since 2016, India has been a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
INS Arighaat is an upgraded variant of the Arihant-class submarine. It is the second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine made by India under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to build nuclear submarines at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. It has the code name S3.
S5 is the code name for a planned class of Indian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines currently being developed for the Indian Navy. S5 will weigh around twice as much as the preceding Arihant-class submarine. It is expected to start production by 2027.
K-5 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile under development by Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. The missile has a planned range of 6,000 kilometres.
