China test fires anti Satellite missile, India yet to Develop

China test fires anti Satellite missile, India yet to Develop

The Long March 11 Rocket with Dong Neng Kill Vehicle

   China successfully carried out another anti satellite missile test on Oct 30, and they officially acknowledged about the tests only after some days when US publishes about the Chinese missile launch. Two independent Chinese officials from Military and space program confirm the test and said it's a anti ballistic missile to counter enemy ballistic missiles not a anti satellite system. Sources say the missile did reached at the altitude of some 18,000 miles from earth, where most of the Navigational and intelligence satellites orbiting.

    China said it's a new system to evaluate the mid course interception of ballistic missile, similarly  to the American THAAD missile defense system. China did have two Anti satellite missile's SC 19 and DN 3, First one is used for destroying sub orbiting small SAR satellites, and the DN 3 used for destroying spy satellites and Navigational satellites in high orbit. The SC 19 already operational while DN 3 become operational before 2020. China conducting more tests to evaluate the operational capability of the missile.

     China actively interested in space based warfare, where both Russians and Americans agreed to limit their development in ASAT Technology. China testing anti satellite missile from 2007, in the first test they successfully destroyed a sub orbiting weather satellite. The test actually shocked the US and the Russians, The destruction caused severe problems to other satellite's orbiting at the same altitude. US Russia and many nations concerned about the debris of the satellites which poses threat to manned International Space station.

    China conducted more tests later years, So far China successfully conducted six anti satellite missiles, which is the known number in public medium, US is the only nation who has many systems to track each and every ballistic missiles conducted by any nation in the world. China conducted last test from Korla missile test complex in west China close to Mongolia.

     India operates long range tracking Radar which can track ballistic missile as far as some 2000 Kilo meters, However China conducted this test far from that range. Also it's hard to detect a anti satellite missile, because it hits the target at the space not in the land. The recent test shows Chinese capability of striking satellites anywhere in the orbit. which means during any war escalation against China, they will target Indian military satellites first to blind Indian defense assets.

DF 21 A Ballistic missile modified into SC 19 for ASAT missions

    Wikileaks once quoted that US, India and some other Asian nations issued protests to Chinese Anti satellite test when they conducted a successful anti satellite missile test in January 2010. The missile tests conducted using the SC 19 Space Rocket who carries the hit to kill vehicle to destroy sub orbiting satellite targets. Even after, China conducted more than four successful tests.

     India on other side yet to test fire a ASAT missile, It's reported by DRDO's director general VK Saraswat during an seminar in IIT Bombay, that India developing a atmospheric kill vehicle which will be used in modified Agni missiles to act as a sub orbital Anti satellite missile. So far there is no clear progress in the missile program.

    The Agni missiles has don't have enough range to fly much height to meet the Satellites, where most of the satellites placed well above than 10,000 kilometers from earth. While Agni missiles can go as much as height of some 1000 kilometers only, It's reported that modified Agni variant of ASAT missile can go over 3000 kilometers to perform sub orbit SAR satellite destruction missions.

    However this will not makes sense, while most of the Chinese Navigational Satellites like Beidou and other military and spy satellites fly well above than 15,000 miles above the earth's atmosphere, If India tries to shoot down any Chinese sub orbiting commercial satellites, then China will brings down entire Indian Satellites orbiting in the space.

    For the above some reasons, India must project their ambition to develop a real anti satellite missile rather than named ASAT missile. While the five nation council in UN, Seriously discussing about banning anti satellite missile test and Hyper sonic missile test, once they matured in these kind of advanced technologies. So India must accelerate those Hyper sonic and Anti satellite project before the International ban applied on those kind of tests.

Is that so simple Anti Satellite Missile

Is that so simple Anti Satellite Missile

   Recently some Indian media sounded about the DRDO's path finding of developing Anti satellite missile using modified Agni 5 missile, and thinks it's very easy to achieve such capability, currently only two countries tested, and some others also have such capability, India started it's anti satellite project early 2010, so far no concrete results, there is several kind of anti satellite mechanism, DRDO follows ground based ballistic missiles as it's entry towards anti satellite capability,

   There is very less probability of achieving a satellite kill using ground based ballistic missile, because they were positioned in far high altitude and travel very high speed, the earth rotation also pose heavy resistance during the interception, one more is the satellite is relatively very small in size, and it's very difficult to spot it and direct the missile steer towards the target, mostly the ballistic missile can go up to the height of some 600 to 1000 km, where the low orbital mini satellites positioned some 1500 kilometers above,

    With this range one can attack satellites used for communication and Satellite based SAR systems, however there is less chance or only science fiction that destroying a navigational or X Band communication satellites, which are placed at some 20,000 kilometers above from the sea level, India's long range Missile Agni 5 reached the height of some 600 kilometers during the last test, modifying the Agni to reach 1000 to 1500 is possible, however the satellite tracking and using the Kill vehicle is most complex technology,

    Most military satellites can rotate the earth at the speed of some 10,000 kilometers per hour, It's very hard to maneuver the  Ballistic missile to target the Satellite, The need of Kill vehicle can be used, the Kill vehicle act as a robot that can strike the Target once it was launched from the missile near to the Satellite for high probability kill, most of the Nations uses Kill vehicles, the same tech used in ballistic missile interceptions,

    Americans are the masters in Space tech no doubt, However in 2007 China successfully carried out a anti satellite missile test, by destroying his own satellite by using their Ballistic missile, the missile was a modified DF 21 short range ballistic missile, modified with a kill vehicle which incorporated imaging infrared seeker IIR, the same seeker used in most missiles to destroy enemy fighter jets. the target satellite orbits some 1000 km above from the sea level, and the kill vehicle performed direct hit, the kill vehicle accelerated his speed at some 25,000 kilometer per hour to kill the satellite, Chinese is the second country who tested such capability,

    There is a another simple method where most foreign nations using is, making their own satellite as a suicide attacker to attack enemy satellite, a better kill probability than all others, Russians, Chinese and many more tried this, while Russia has some 1000 satellites in the Orbit where China has some 100 and India has some fifty, the collision successful means the strike is good, if no means the attack satellite may be out of control, once it deviated from the designated path, India confirmed that they will not do such actions in the Space, there is some international treaty  also there to prevent such suicide attacks in the space.

    Most technologically developed nations like America and Israel uses it's fighter based missile to attack enemy satellites the same method also can be used to launch Satellites in the orbit, so far only Israel and the US has such most critical technology, the Americans already demonstrated it earlier 1990, and It's believed that Israel also has such technologies, once the Russians plans to use their MiG 31 armed with long range high speed missiles to attack mini satellites in the space, however they dropped the plan and moved into space based defense systems. and the Israeli's and Americans used the F 15, two years ago Israel launched a Ballistic Rocket using it's fighter jets, whose actual target or mission information's are highly classified, and there is no way or needs more than a decades to create such technology in India,

   Satellite based weapon is something like Armed Satellites which have Missiles or laser cannon's to destroy the enemy satellite's in the orbit, the known space based weaponizing issue, however it's believed nations like P5 already deployed such satellites in the space armed with weapons, this is the most trusted technology, where your own satellite can launch missile whenever it required, it can be deployed anywhere in the orbit, even can capable to destroy enemy navigational satellite's too, while India need decades to catch up such technologies,

   India may fast track the Agni based Missile for ASAT capability, that can be enough to keep low level ASAT deterrence against Chinese.      

The missile arsenal of Indian armed forces

 The missile arsenal of Indian forces

Cruise Missile

    As the name defines these missiles basically cruise to deliver their payload to a designated target. Cruise missiles are usually powered by jet engines, Scramjet and Ramjet are the latest technology. Cruise missiles are very cost effective and the same time can cause havoc our enemy territory. These missiles can fly low hugging to the terrain thus making it extremely difficult to be detected. Cruise missiles are classified based on the speeds, subsonic cruise missiles travel at a speed lesser than the speed of sound approximately at around 0.8 mach ‘Tomahawk and Klub’ are the best examples.

      Supersonic missiles travel approximately at around 2-3 mach i.e. almost a kilometre/second of its flight. BrahMos jointly developed by India and Russia is the only versatile Supersonic cruise missile. Cruise missiles enjoy considerable long ranges but owing to the operational cost medium range missiles are favoured by armed forces across the world.  Hypersonic missiles are still under development and will fly at around 5-6 mach.

BrahMos cruise missile

       India has the worlds fastest and the deadliest cruise missile in its arsenal, BrahMos. India and Russia decided to setup a private company that could work independently off the political circles, the result was BrahMos aerospace a portmanteau of the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva. BrahMos flies at variable speeds between 2.8-3.0 mach and can be launched from all platforms. 

     The ‘missile man’ of India APJ Abdul Kalam and the then Russian deputy defense minister N V Mikhailov worked relentlessly get BrahMos going. The project took baby steps with India holding 50.5 % share and Russia holding 49.5% share in a joint venture. Russian government and Indian government pitched in US $123 and US $127 million respectively for the project. After three long years of hard work, BrahMos was for the first time test fired from ITR, Chandipur on 12th June 2001.

      Repeated tests followed and the missiles was tested for VTL, mobile launcher and land attack  capabilities during the course of 10 years. The development and success with BrahMos has been a never ending process, the missile has evolved over the years and is now currently in Block III configuration. Till date 35 validation and trail tests have been carried out, during one such test BrahMos became the world’s fastest cruise missile. 

        On 20th March 2013, the submarine launched version of BrahMos was testes fired from a submerged pontoon of the Visakhapatnam coast. BrahMos-A the air launched version is expected to be test fired shortly from a IAF Su-30. Indian navy and Indian army have already deployed the BrahMos. Air force has also placed an order for over 200 air launched version of the BrahMos.

Nirbhay cruise missiles 

   

    The home grown Nirbhay, is a multi-platform all weather cruise missile. The missile can carry one tonne of payload and has operational range of 1000 km. Nirbhay is a two-stage missile system with loitering capability. Nirbhay is equipped with ring-laser gyroscope for accurate strikes. Nirbhay can fly at extremely low altitudes, the missile is enabled with terrain hugging technology which effectively means the missile can fly in the tree levels. This method is instrumental in avoiding detection by enemy radar systems and can help in reducing the reaction time of the enemies. 

          Nirbhay is capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. Initially Nirbhay will be launched from a mobile launcher which has been developed by Tata. Further development will guarantee the launch of Nirbhay from Aerial and Naval platforms. The missile will supplement the BrahMos with its extended range.

       The first test of the missile took place in February 2013, the test was a partial success as the missile was destroyed half way to its target after it showed diversion in its trajectory. The missile was again tested in October 2014, the missile delivered the package to the designated target flying flawlessly through the skies. Nirbhay is expected to enter service in less than three years. India also has the Exocet and Harpoon missiles in its arsenal.

Ballistic Missile

      A ballistic missile is a missile system that follows a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path where most of its trajectory is governed by the gravitational pull of earth. Ballistic missiles cover most of their flight in the stratosphere and during the terminal phases enter the atmosphere and are guided to a per-designated targeted with the help of highly advanced navigational systems. Ballistic missiles are usually powered by multi-stage rockets and are usually classified based on the range and the payload they can carry i.e. conventional and nuclear warheads.

      Ballistic missiles can be launched from silos situated either on the ground or in submarines which is the best platform for retaliatory strikes. Ballistic missiles launched from the submarines are classified as SLBM (Submarine Launched Ballistic missile). India has a very matured ballistic missile program thanks to the relentless work of DRDO. The Agni program serves as the umbrella program for India’s ballistic missile program. 

        Agni V remains to be the most advanced ballistic missile, India has developed. Agni V has a confirmed range of 5500 km classifying it as an ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile). K-missile family are SLBM’s, K-4 which is currently under development will have an operational range of 3500+ km. The K-12 with 750 km has been fitted out on INS Arihant and is slated to be test fired in the near future.

Article by - Karthik Kakoor

Agni 5 ICBM

Agni 5 ICBM

Key Points

- Missile Launched at 8 AM IST. Launch Sucessful

- Strike Range Over 5000 KM

- It's a Three stage Solid Propellent Missile

- Missile Tested in Canister Based Configuration

- Compared to previous Models, The Missile sleek in design, witness say 

- The missile houses very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System 

- Micro Navigation System 

- CEP of less than 5 meters

- The high speed onboard computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus    guided the missile flawlessly," said an official.

-The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile Agni-5 is capable of striking a range more than 5000 km. It is about 17 meters long, 2 metres wide and has a launch weight of around 50 tonnes. The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne. 

Unconfirmed Model 2

Unconfirmed Model 3

Unconfirmed Model 1