A missile is a self-propelled guided weapon system. Missiles have four system components: targeting and/or guidance, flight system, engine, and warhead.
Missiles are powered by an engine, generally either a type of rocket or jet engine. Rockets are generally of the solid fuel type for ease of maintenance and fast deployment, although some larger ballistic missiles use liquid fuel rockets. Solid fuel is easy to load in missiles and reaction time is less. However, liquid fuel is more efficient.
Missiles are generally categorized by their launch platform and intended target. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes:
Types of missiles
- Surface-to-Surface/Air-to-Surface: Ballistic, Cruise, Anti-Missile, Anti-Tank
- Surface-to-air: Anti-aircraft, Anti-Ballistic
- Air-to-air
Ballistic Missiles and Cruise Missiles
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flight path with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. Ballistic missile engine operates for a limited period and hence guided by a limited period. Cruise missiles on the other hand are continuously guided.
Ballistic missiles can vary widely in range and use, and are often divided into categories based on range. Various schemes are used by different countries to categorize the ranges of ballistic missiles:
| Type of Missile | Range |
|---|---|
Tactical ballistic missile
| 150kms – 300kms
Less than 100kms
|
Theatre ballistic missile (TBM)
| 300kms- 3500kms
Less than 1,000 kms
1,000 kms – 3,500 kms
|
| Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) or long-range ballistic missile (LRBM) | 3500kms – 5500kms |
| Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) | Greater than 5500 kms |
| Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) | Launched from Submarine |
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP)
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was formed in 1983 with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency in missile development & production and today comprises of five core missile programs —> the strategic Agni ballistic missile, the tactical Prithvi ballistic missile, the Akash and Trishool surface-to-air missiles and the Nag anti-tank guided missile.
List of Indian Missiles and their features
| Name of the Missile | Missile class/type | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| Agni Series | Surface to Surface Missiles Agni-I: SRBMAgni-II: MRBM
Agni-III: IRBM
Agni-IV/ Agni-II Prime: MRBM
Agni-V: ICBM
| Agni-IV is a two-stage missile powered by solid propellant. It is 20 meters tall and has a launch weight of 17 tonnes.
A new missile Agni-V with 5,000 km range and MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles) is being developed and was tested on 19 April 2012
|
| Dhanush(Sanskrit: Bow) | Ship to Surface Missile SRBM | Dhanush is a naval variant of the Prithvi missile |
| Nirbhay | Subsonic Cruise Missile | Nirbhay is an all-weather low-cost medium-range cruise missile with stealth and high accuracy. The missile will have a range of 750km. The surface version of Nirbhay missile was test fired for the first time on 12th March 2013 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district of Odisha |
| Brahmos I | Supersonic Cruise Missile | Range < 300kms. It follows low trajectory and is difficult to detect by enemies and is accurate. RAMJET Engine. |
| Brahmos II | Hypersonic Cruise Missile | SRAMJET Engine and includes all the features of Brahmos-I |
| Sagarika (missile)[Meaning: Survival) | SLBM (Sub Marine Launched Ballistic Missile) | It is under K-15 programs. Has second strike capability. This is a submarine launched missile and is likely to be included in INS Arihanth. |
| Shaurya | Surface to Surface missileTBM
Hyper sonic Missile
| Has Inbuilt Stealth Technology |
| Nag | Air to Air | Nag has ‘fire and forget’ and ‘top attack’ capability. Carrying an eight-kg warhead, it has an infra-red seeker and can destroy enemy tanks four km away. |
| Akash | Surface to Air | The Akash missile can be launched from static or mobile platforms providing flexible deployment. The system can handle multiple targets and destroy manoeuvring targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and missiles launched from helicopters |
| Trishool | Surface to Air ballistic missile | Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land. |
| Prithvi | Surface to SurfaceTBM | The missile is of particular interest to the United States (and potential buyers) in that has the capability of manoeuvring in flight so as to follow one of several different pre-programmed trajectories |
| Prahar Missile | Air defence missileTBM | Range < 150kms. |
| AWACS Missile | Air Defence missile | AWACS is simply a Radar placed in an Aircraft. It increases the Radar observability and itself is not weapon |
| Astra | Air to Air Missile | It is a Beyond Visual Range Missile which means they are fire-and-forget kind. There is no fixed target for such missiles. |
| Helina | Surface to Air | A variant of Nag Missile to be launched from Helicopter is being developed under the Project named HELINA (HELIcopter launched NAg). It will be structurally different from the Nag. |
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