Surya missile
Encyclopedia
The Surya missile was speculated to be an ICBM being developed by India. The first report about the Surya missile was published by The Nonproliferation Review in 1995.
and many Indian languages) is the codename for the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
that India
is reported to be developing. The DRDO is believed to have begun the project in 1994. This report has not been confirmed by any other sources until 2010. Officials of the Indian government have repeatedly denied the existence of the project.
According to the report, the Surya is an intercontinental-range, surface-based, solid and liquid propellant ballistic missile.
The report further adds that Surya is the most ambitious project in India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
.The Surya is speculated to have a range between 10,000 to 16,000 kilometers.
As the missile is yet to be developed, the specifications of the missile are not known and the entire program continues to remain highly secretive. Estimates of the range of this missile vary from 10,000 km to 16,000 km. It is believed to be a three-stage design, with the first two stages using solid propellants and the third-stage using liquid. In 2007, the Times of India reported that the DRDO is yet to reveal whether India's currently proposed ICBM will be called Agni-V. As of 2009 it was reported that the government had not considered an 10,000-km above range ICBM.
History
According to a report published in The Nonproliferation Review, in the Winter of 1995, Surya (meaning the Sun in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and many Indian languages) is the codename for the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
that India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is reported to be developing. The DRDO is believed to have begun the project in 1994. This report has not been confirmed by any other sources until 2010. Officials of the Indian government have repeatedly denied the existence of the project.
According to the report, the Surya is an intercontinental-range, surface-based, solid and liquid propellant ballistic missile.
The report further adds that Surya is the most ambitious project in India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
IGMDP
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program was an Indian Ministry of Defence program between the early 1980s and 2007 for the development of a comprehensive range of missiles, including the intermediate range Agni missile , and short range missiles such as the Prithvi ballistic missile ,...
.The Surya is speculated to have a range between 10,000 to 16,000 kilometers.
As the missile is yet to be developed, the specifications of the missile are not known and the entire program continues to remain highly secretive. Estimates of the range of this missile vary from 10,000 km to 16,000 km. It is believed to be a three-stage design, with the first two stages using solid propellants and the third-stage using liquid. In 2007, the Times of India reported that the DRDO is yet to reveal whether India's currently proposed ICBM will be called Agni-V. As of 2009 it was reported that the government had not considered an 10,000-km above range ICBM.
Design
Sources say the DRDO's most treasured dream—denied in public—remains the development of an ICBM with a range above 10,000 kilometres, already christened Surya or sun, to match Chinese DF-3 ICBMs that can hit US cities."DRDO scientists are working on miniaturising systems of Agni-III so that a third stage can be squeezed into the 16-metre-long missile to enable it to go up to 5,500 kilometres with the same 1.5-tonne payload,"DRDO chief M. Natarajan told reporters in New Delhi.Speculated specifications
- Class: ICBMIntercontinental ballistic missileAn intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
- Lasing: "Surface based",Underwater based in certain strategic areas & "Submarine" based is its most important aspect which may range above 10,000 km.
- Length: 40.00 m.
- Diameter: 2.8 m.
- Launch Weight: 55,000 kg.
- Propulsion: First/second stage solid, third liquid.
- Warhead Capabilities: 3-10 nuclear warheads of 250-750 kilotons each.
- Status: Development / Developed to be tested.
- In Service: 2015.
- Range: 10,000 - 16,000 km.
See also
- Project ValiantProject ValiantProject Valiant was one of two early liquid-fueled missile projects developed by India, along with Project Devil in the 1970s. The goal of Project Valiant was to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile...
- Intercontinental Ballistic MissileIntercontinental ballistic missileAn intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
- Agni Missile System
- PSLV
External links
- http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2006_03/March-IndiaFeature