Indian Missiles News & Discussions - 30 June 2022

[SSridhar]

Want to co-develop missiles with India - Thales - ET

European defence major Thales wants to leverage its presence in India to create an export hub that can serve third countries and is keen on co-developing new generation missiles with technology transfer, a top company executive told ET.

Speaking at AeroIndia, India's flagship defence aviation show, Thales International President and CEO Pascale Sourisse said there are prospects to develop missiles with public sector unit Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for orders that can potentially be in the thousands to meet the requirements of the armed forces.

The company has an ongoing collaboration with BDL to supply STARStreak Laser Beam Riding MANPADs (LBRM) to the Indian Army. Sourisse said this could be expanded to include more missiles as well, including the Light Multirole Missile (LMM) and future co-development of a new generation of missiles.

"The prospects are in terms of 1000s of missiles. It would make a lot of sense for us to use the capabilities established in India to not only serve the needs of the Indian Army, but also export from India," the senior executive said.

The French company is also setting up a new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Gurgaon that will cater to Indian needs. Sourisse said the company is also looking to expand it for export of MRO services from India as well.

[srai]

https://x.com/ReviewVayu/status/1888516336877518973

First views of Astra Mk.2, LRLACM, VLSRSAM, PDV, SMART, Akash NG, Kusha, Rudram 2, and many others at the BDL Pavillion....they're still setting up so better pictures tomorrow.

Aero India

[srai]

https://x.com/Ray70409890/status/1888507777200341071

Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation kit ie TARA from the stables of DRDO is being displayed for the first time.

It's a kit that can be strapped onto an iron bomb and converted into a standoff PGM.

Presently, there are TARA 250 and 450. An EO seeker variant is in the works.

[Rakesh]

VIDEO: https://x.com/livefist/status/1894754357666861085 ---> India's DRDO and @IndianNavy test-fire Naval Anti Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR). "scored a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range," says DRDO.

https://x.com/AdithyaKM_/status/1894755765422059586 ---> NASM SR uses IDDM IIR seeker for terminal guidance, Fiber Optic Gyro based INS & Radio Altimeter for mid-course guidance, Integrated avionics module, EMA for Aerodynamic & JVC, thermal batteries & PCB warhead. Test demoed high bandwidth two way datalink.

DRDO & Indian Navy successfully conduct flight-trials of first-of-its-kind Naval Anti-Ship missile
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2106482
26 Feb 2025

[Ashokk]

DRDO & Indian Navy successfully conduct flight-trials of first-of-its-kind Naval Anti-Ship missile
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2106482
26 Feb 2025

The missile was launched in Bearing-only Lock-on after launch mode with several targets in close vicinity for selecting one among them. The missile initially locked on to a large target within a specified zone of search and during the terminal phase, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target resulting in its being hit with pinpoint accuracy.

[Cyrano]

Great! Is this first of its kind for India or there is no comparable missile in the world?

[ramana]

So TARA is a glide kit for existing bombs?
Looks like HSLD 250 and 450 kg. bombs.
Any plans for a strap on glide kit for the 1000 MC bombs in IAF inventory?

[drnayar]

Great! Is this first of its kind for India or there is no comparable missile in the world?

Apparently a two way data link can give re targeting capability as in advanced tomahawk and even meteor aam s

[Hriday]

On the topic of why the range of Akash-NG is only 30 km vs the MRSAM range of 70 km. See the DRDO video in the link below which state that the range of Akash-NG is 80 km.
https://x.com/GODOFPARADOXES/status/164 ... RKpog&s=19

Anyways afaik this video is the source of 80km range when i posted it in forums and than tweeter

Importantly afaik 1st drdo source which for the 1st time mentioned range of Akash-NG

later on reduced range figures started popping, afaik mainly from production orgs not drdo

But there is a contradictory opinion. See the graphs and his calculations in the link below. I really wish more BTech people would join the military threads and comment.
https://x.com/prudhvitej32/status/18888 ... kI7DA&s=19

Something is fishy with Akash Ng

Below graph shows it's trajectory.....I calculated it's max range and it came out as < 42.065 Km

2 peeks are visible in Mach vs Time graph

Both first peek and second peek lasted just for ~10 seconds

@GODOFPARADOXES
@Ray70409890

[ramana]

https://x.com/iamkrishradha/status/1896006333792690588
Good thread on DRDO exhibits.

[ramana]

On the topic of why the range of Akash-NG is only 30 km vs the MRSAM range of 70 km. See the DRDO video in the link below which state that the range of Akash-NG is 80 km.
https://x.com/GODOFPARADOXES/status/164 ... RKpog&s=19

Anyways afaik this video is the source of 80km range when i posted it in forums and than tweeter

Importantly afaik 1st drdo source which for the 1st time mentioned range of Akash-NG

later on reduced range figures started popping, afaik mainly from production orgs not drdo

But there is a contradictory opinion. See the graphs and his calculations in the link below. I really wish more BTech people would join the military threads and comment.
https://x.com/prudhvitej32/status/18888 ... kI7DA&s=19

Something is fishy with Akash Ng

Below graph shows it's trajectory.....I calculated it's max range and it came out as < 42.065 Km

2 peeks are visible in Mach vs Time graph

Both first peek and second peek lasted just for ~10 seconds

@GODOFPARADOXES
@Ray70409890

https://x.com/AjayshreeSamby3/status/16 ... 7544860672

Looks like Akash NG is a dual pulse short range SAM with 30km slant range per the infographic.

The guys calculation confirms that its dual pulse and exceeds 30km.

[Hriday]

^^
Ramana ji, over a month ago, @Firezstarter1, I think, forwarded a post describing that the reduced range of Akash-NG is due to a different role it was allotted. Something related to the larger no-escape zone was mentioned. The below tweet contains the screenshot of the DRDO - DRDO brochure on Akash-NG. It mentions the range of 30 km. However, the weight and dimensions of Akash-NG are significantly higher than MRSAM. Does anybody know of such a precedent?

https://x.com/Ray70409890/status/189584 ... U6pbw&s=19

Akash NG and Barak-8 have body dia of 250 mm and 225 mm respectively.

NG and Barak-8 have lengths of 4.7 and 4.5 m respectively.

NG and Barak-8 have weight of 336 kg and 276 kg respectively.

Both these missiles have two pulses and both the motors are developed indigenously.

[srai]

^^^
Looks like Kusha LRSAM uses Akash NG with different boosters to attain 120km - 350km.

https://x.com/Varun55484761/status/1888849953944170757

[srin]

I always thought that Akash NG was a desi version equivalent to Barak 8, with all Israeli components replaced with desi ones.

[srai]

https://x.com/iamkrishradha/status/1896006333792690588
Good thread on DRDO exhibits.

Can you please post the links to each thread?

X doesn’t show those unless one is signed in

[Ashokk]

MIRV configuration https://www.facebook.com/newsiadn/photo ... 2702/?_rdr

[fanne]

https://x.com/iamkrishradha/status/1896006333792690588
Good thread on DRDO exhibits.

Can you please post the links to each thread?

X doesn’t show those unless one is signed in

Or post a threadwraper

[nash]

I hope it is not photo shopped. Astra-3/SFDR?

https://x.com/ang3lkenny/status/1896455273419882970 --->

[suryag]

Nowadays too many missiles to track, now what is Gandiva, is it AstraMK3 ?

[drnayar]

idrw reporting DRDO’s LRAShM Hypersonic Glide Weapon Hits Mach 10, Surpassing Expectations ?! truth or fiction ?

[TVenky]

X user SRI SAIDATTA / @nssdatta has posted this https://mega.nz/folder/2EMEnL7T#o8YYsBKWaFuNwzDXEmzkGA in X
Around 400 images from Vigyan Vaibhav 2025 held at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad..

[Hriday]

idrw reporting DRDO’s LRAShM Hypersonic Glide Weapon Hits Mach 10, Surpassing Expectations ?! truth or fiction ?

In the Etv (Eenadu TV ?) video in the below link at around 10 second, Mach 10 is mentioned in the English subtitles. Telugu people here can confirm it.

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/18 ... Uvjwg&s=19

[drnayar]

idrw reporting DRDO’s LRAShM Hypersonic Glide Weapon Hits Mach 10, Surpassing Expectations ?! truth or fiction ?

In the Etv (Eenadu TV ?) video in the below link at around 10 second, Mach 10 is mentioned in the English subtitles. Telugu people here can confirm it.

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/18 ... Uvjwg&s=19

thats quite impressive !! ,, thanks . land of ancient astras coming of age !

[Rakesh]

I hope it is not photo shopped. Astra-3/SFDR?

https://x.com/ang3lkenny/status/1896455273419882970 --->

https://x.com/VishnuNDTV/status/1896608403323289881 ---> This missile may be the future of Indian air-to-air warfare. It holds out the promise of outraging the Meteor, the Rafale's most advanced Air to air missile and will fly off the rails of Tejas and Sukhoi fighters.

https://x.com/VinodDX9/status/1896578834931347720 ---> The IAF Su-30MKI, equipped with a GaN AESA mounted on a swash plate, and armed with "Gandiva" SFDR-BVRAAM can perform evasive maneuvers yet can guide the missile towards the target, and the missile with high NEZ (No Escape Zone) will perform an almost 100% hit.

[Rakesh]

India’s Air-To-Air Superweapon Breaks Cover
https://www.livefistdefence.com/indias- ... aks-cover/
04 March 2025

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/18 ... 1721067720 ---> Astra Mk3/Gandiva.

https://x.com/sriramthg/status/1896512065168363577 ---> Big stick what. 340km!! And these guys never exaggerate ranges. What the hell kinda monster is this thing?

https://x.com/cvkrishnan/status/1896886407655989570 ---> We have to get better radars to match the ranges of our missiles. That’s how good we’ve gotten at guided missiles.

https://x.com/hukum2082/status/1896626340394385842 ---> We have now reached a stage where our fighter fleet might need radar upgrades to effectively employ a bleeding edge missile. AWACS guided long range lobs taking out adversary aircraft at 200 km+ ranges (I am being conservative). The Su-30MKI can carry 12 of them and that would just be 2.5 tons against its rated payload of 8 tons. Add dual racks and a single Su-30MKI turns into a BVR mutant. If the IAF prioritises force multipliers (12 x AEW and 12 x tankers), I smell air supremacy.

[srai]

^^^
Interestingly, if you look at the specs of Astra Mk1 behind, Mk3 is exactly the same size (dimensions and length).

[Aditya_V]

Personally, I hope these are ordered without public fanfare, and the Pakis try some stunt like Swift Retort and get some real nasty shocks.

[drnayar]

India’s Air-To-Air Superweapon Breaks Cover
https://www.livefistdefence.com/indias- ... aks-cover/
04 March 2025

Can the gandiva tech be utilised for a point defence long range SAM for IN fleet defence ??

[ernest]

Can the gandiva tech be utilised for a point defence long range SAM for IN fleet defence ??

I guess, since the dimensions are similar to Astra/VL-SRSAM, it would be viable to extend the VL-SRSAM family with a Gandiva based VL-LRSAM. Possibly using the same VLS cells.

[konaseema]

^^^
Interestingly, if you look at the specs of Astra Mk1 behind, Mk3 is exactly the same size (dimensions and length).

The difference is the speed of the missile aka Launch Mach number - Mach 4.5 Vs 0.8 - 2.2. Astra III appears to be a slow moving missile but with an interception speed of 2.0 - 3.6 (Mach)

[ashishvikas]

Astra Mk3/Gandiva coming for trials, let's see when French offer Meteor for all MKIs as well.

[TVenky]

Astra Mk3/Gandiva coming for trials, let's see when French offer Meteor for all MKIs as well.

https://idrw.org/mbda-in-talks-with-iaf ... hter-jets/

[Yagnasri]

Right on the dot, as expected.

[ramana]

Joke article.
IAF integrated Astra with great tardiness.
Were happy with Derby and Python.
There were flutter issues with latter.
People forget

[drnayar]

Does anyone have actual order numbers for the astra mk1 and mk 2 .. thought IAF was going all in for an Indian aam... what happened to ban on foreign missile purchases! [ there was that negative procurement list !]

[Yagnasri]

Astra-based WVR Missile with infrared seeker was being discussed and no longer being on the card?

[ramana]

It's still there. No news doesn't mean it's dead.
It's similar to R-77 with both seekers in different versions.

[srai]

Does anyone have actual order numbers for the astra mk1 and mk 2 .. thought IAF was going all in for an Indian aam... what happened to ban on foreign missile purchases! [ there was that negative procurement list !]

Astra Mk1 -> 50 + 200 + 200
Astra Mk2 -> no orders yet

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/ShiroBarks/status/1897485323065524234 ---> BM-04 SRBM.