VAJIRAM AND RAVI

Institute for IAS examination

Science and Tech.

Handout
Theme: Defence
 DEFENCE HANDOUT
Ballistic and Cruise Missiles  The fuel efficiency of the scramjets tends to be
Ballistic Missiles: significantly better than that of traditional
 Have a ballistic lofted trajectory. turbojets and ramjets. This makes them ideal for
 Work on the principle of unpowered free-fall various high-speed applications.
flight after the boost phase.  They operate more efficiently at very high
 Examples: India's Agni and Prithvi series of speeds.
ballistic missiles.  Just like the Ramjet engines, they also have no
Cruise Missiles: moving parts.
 An unmanned self-propelled guided vehicle. Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet:
 Sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most  A missile propulsion system based on the
of its flight. concept of the Ramjet Engine principle.
 Remains in the atmosphere (unlike ballistic  The system utilises a solid fuelled air-breathing
missiles). ramjet engine.
 Examples:  Unlike solid-propellant rockets, the Ramjet takes
o Indian Nirbhay long-range subsonic up oxygen from the atmosphere during flight.
cruise missile. Thus, it is light in weight and can carry more fuel.
 Supersonic Cruise missiles: Cruise missiles Dual Mode Ramjet:
travelling at supersonic speeds are called  A jet engine where a ramjet transforms into a
supersonic cruise missiles. scramjet over Mach 4-8 range and it can
o BrahMos: Joint Indo-Russian BrahMos efficiently operate both in subsonic and
is the fastest supersonic cruise missile supersonic combustor modes.
reaching close to Mach 3 speed.
 Hypersonic Cruise missiles: Cruise missiles Missile Technology
powered using scramjet engines to realise Brahmos:
speeds greater than Mach 5 are designated as  Nuclear-capable long-range supersonic cruise
hypersonic cruise missiles. missile system.
o 3M22 Zircon: Russia's 3M22 Zircon can  Jointly developed by DRDO, India, and NPOM,
fly over Mach 8 as a hypersonic cruise Russia.
missile.  Named after the rivers Brahmaputra and
Moskva (Russia).
Engine Technology  Stealth technology and a guidance system with
Ramjet: advanced embedded software.
 A jet propulsion system that utilises the exhaust  Low radar signature.
velocity of a combustion process to achieve  Pinpoint accuracy with high lethal power.
thrust.  The missile has an identical configuration for
 Unlike turbojets, ramjet engines do not require land, sea, and sub-sea platforms and uses a
an external compressor and turbine, instead Transport Launch Canister (TLC) for
relying solely on the speed of incoming air to transportation, storage, and launch.
ignite fuel in the combustion chamber and  Recently, the anti-ship variant of the BrahMos
create thrust. supersonic cruise missile was sold to Philippines
 Has no moving parts and relies on high-speed by India.
motion for operation. Brahmos-NG:
 It operates efficiently at supersonic speeds.  BrahMos NG is a multi-platform, multi-target,
Scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet): and lightweight weapon system, making it
 An upgraded variant of a ramjet where perfect for the battlefield.
combustion occurs due to supersonic airflow.  Range: 290 kilometers
The supersonic flow allows the jets to achieve  Speed: up to 3.5 Mach.
even faster speeds than the standard ramjets.  It has a smaller radar cross-section (RCS) than
 This engine does not need to slow the incoming the previous missile, making it more difficult for
air for combustion like a typical turbojet or air defence systems to detect and engage the
ramjet. target.

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram & Ravi
New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
 It was created to be deployed on ground-based,  It can protect its air defence bubble against
aerial, surface, and underwater platforms. rockets, missiles, cruise missiles and even
 Because of its small size, this missile can be aircraft.
launched from submarine torpedo rooms.  Range: 400 km.
BRAHMOS Extended Range (ER):  The capability of firing the missiles for a layered
 An improved version of the original Brahmos defence.
missile with an extended range between 800-
900km, which is the latest version. Agni Missiles
 After India joined the MTCR In 2016, the  The subsequent missiles after Agni-3 have been
BRAHMOS-ER missile was developed with a developed with independent projects and not
range of 450 km, 600 km and later 800-900 km. under IGMDP.
 The extended-range missile also has a DRDO- Agni-V:
designed indigenous seeker and booster.  Nuclear-capable intercontinental advanced
surface-to-surface inter-continental ballistic
Integrated Guided Missile Development missile (ICBM) powered by solid fuel.
Programme  Uses a three-stage solid-fuel engine.
 Initiated in 1983 under the leadership of Dr. APJ  Capable of carrying a 1.5-tonne nuclear
Abdul Kalam. warhead.
 IGMDP envisaged attaining self-reliance in  Range: 5,000 to 5,500 kilometres.
missile technologies for national security  It can be canisterised to improve its ease of
priorities. handling and operation.
 Various ranges of missile systems developed  Agni-V was used in India’s maiden anti-satellite
under these projects are Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, (ASAT) test under Mission Shakti.
Nag, and Agni.  India recently conducted the first flight test of an
Prithvi: indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with
 Short-range surface-to-surface missile. Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry
 Dhanush is the naval variant of the Prithvi III Vehicle (MIRV) technology, named Mission
missile. The submarine version is named Divyastra.
Sagarika.  The next upgrade of the Agni missile, Agni-6, is
Trishul: expected to be a full-fledged intercontinental
 It is a short-range, low-level, surface-to-air ballistic missile with a range well over 7,000 km.
missile.  MIRV Technology:
 It is capable of a strike range of 9-12 km. o The MIRV can target multiple targets
Aakash Missile: hundreds of kilometres apart with a
 A medium-range surface-to-air missile. single missile.
 Capable of intercepting up to a range of 30 km. o As of now, the United States, Russia,
Nag: China, France and the United Kingdom
 It is the 3rd generation, fire-and-forget anti- are known to have MIRV-equipped
tank guided missile. missiles.
 Developed to strike and neutralise enemy tanks Agni Prime:
in the range of 500 metres to 4000 metres.  Lighter version.
 The helicopter-launched version of Nag is known  It is the sixth and most recent variant of the Agni
as Helina. series missiles.
Agni:  Agni-P is a new generation nuclear-capable two-
 Agni series of missiles are surface-to-surface stage canisterised solid propellant surface-to-
ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear as well as surface medium-range ballistic missile
conventional payloads. (MRBM).
 Range: 1000 to 2000 km.
 It incorporates upgrades such as propulsion
S-400 systems, composite rocket motor casings, and
 Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to- advanced navigation and guidance systems.
air missile defence system.
 It can simultaneously track numerous incoming
objects, including aircraft, missiles and UAVs, ASTRA Missile
within a radius of a few hundred kilometres and  A beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile
launch appropriate missiles to neutralise them. designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft.
 It is indigenously developed by the DRDO.

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
  The missile is designed to engage and destroy Hypersonic Missile
highly manoeuvrable supersonic aircraft.  A weapon system which flies at least at the
 Recently, LCA Tejas successfully test-fired an speed of Mach 5, i.e. five times the speed of
Astra missile off the coast of Goa. sound and is manoeuvrable.
 The ASTRA Mk-I Weapon System, integrated  Two types:
with SU-30 Mk-I aircraft, is being inducted into o Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV): The
the Indian Air Force (IAF). HGV is launched from a rocket before
 Features of ASTRA Mk-I: gliding to the intended target.
o Range of 80 to 110 km in a head-on o Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: powered by
chase and can travel at 4.5 Mach speed air-breathing high-speed engines or'
(almost hypersonic). scramjets’ after acquiring their target.
o It offers the pilot the option to choose  Advantages:
between “Lock on Before Launch” and o Could challenge detection and defence
“Lock on After Launch” and later allows due to their speed, manoeuvrability and
the aircraft to shoot and scoot to safety low altitude of flight.
after firing the missile in the direction of o Can enable responsive, long-range
the target. strike options against distant, defended
o It is based on advanced solid-fuel or time-critical threats (such as road-
ducted ramjet (SFDR) engine mobile missiles) when other forces are
technology. unavailable, denied access or not
o It is capable of operating under all preferred.
weather conditions, both day and night o Conventional hypersonic weapons use
and offers high overall reliability and a only kinetic energy i.e. energy derived
very high” Single Shot Kill Probability from motion, to destroy unhardened
(SSKP). targets or even underground facilities.
 Countries with hypersonic missiles or in
Pralay Missile development:
 It is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile. o Russia: Possess Kinzhal, Zircon,
 Range: It can hit targets 150-500 km away. Avangard.
 Developed by the DRDO. o USA and China are also developing.
 Can be canisterised. o India, France, Germany, Japan and
 It is powered by a solid propellant rocket motor Australia too are developing hypersonic
and other new technologies. weapons.
 The guidance system includes state-of-the-art o Indian progress: developing an
navigation and integrated avionics. indigenous, dual-capable (conventional
 It can change its path after covering a certain as well as nuclear) hypersonic cruise
range in mid-air. missile as part of its Hypersonic
Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
Nirbhay programme and successfully tested a
 It is a long-range sub-sonic cruise missile. Mach 6 scramjet in June 2019 and
 It is India’s first indigenously-produced cruise September 2020.
missile.  India operates approximately
 Features: 12 hypersonic wind tunnels
o It can strike land targets at a distance of and is capable of testing speeds
up to 1,000 kilometres. up to Mach 13.
o It can be launched from multiple
platforms. Rudram Missile
 India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile.
LCA Tejas  Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect,
 It is the lightest, smallest and tailless multi-role track and neutralise the adversary’s radar,
supersonic fighter aircraft in its class. communication assets and other radio
 This aircraft is designed to carry a range of air- frequency sources, which are generally part of
to-air, air-to-surface, precision-guided weapons. their air defence systems.
 It has air-to-air refuelling capability.  Rudram is an air-to-surface missile designed and
 The maximum payload capacity of Tejas is 4000 developed by the DRDO.
kg.
 Speed: Mach 1.8.

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
  Once the target is locked, it can strike accurately  The system can intercept hostile rockets,
even if the radiation source switches off in drones, artillery, and even mortar shells.
between.  Its operational range extends up to 7 km (4.3
 While the system has been tested on a Sukhoi- miles).
30 MKI, it can be adapted for launch on other
fighter jets too. Jericho Missile System
 Rudram has been developed for the IAF’s  Jericho is Israel's original ballistic missile
requirement to enhance its Suppression of programme.
Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability.
Khorramshahr-4 Ballistic Missile
Shaurya Missile  Iranian officials described the missile as having a
 Shaurya is considered a land-based parallel of 2,000-kilometre (1,240-mile) range with a
the submarine-launched ballistic missile 1,500kg (3,300-pound) warhead.
(SLBM) K-15 Sagarika missile.
 Range of at least 600 - 750 kilometres.
 Shaurya missiles can remain hidden or Air Defence System
camouflaged in underground silos from enemy (Explained in the class)
surveillance or satellites until they are fired from
the special storage-cum-launch canisters. Project Kusha
 It is less vulnerable to anti-ballistic missile  It is the development of Long-Range Surface-to-
defence systems due to its high Air Missiles or LR-SAM.
manoeuvrability.  Led by DRDO, will be jointly developed with
Israel Aerospace Industries.
Hwasong-18  Drawing parallels with Israel's renowned Iron
 Solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile Dome system, 'Project Kusha' is expected to not
(ICBM) developed by North Korea. only match but potentially surpass the
capabilities of its Israeli counterpart.
 Key Features:
Igla-S o It incorporates advanced long-range
 Russia-made Man Portable Air Defence Systems surveillance and fire control radars,
(MANPADS). which empower the IAF to effectively
 Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) monitor airspace and fend off enemy
capabilities. threats.
 Known in the West as SA-24 Grinch. o LR-SAM system is also capable of
 Effective range up to 6 km. “reliable area air defence.
 Can be operated by a crew or an individual & has o Although Project Kusha System has
been designed specifically to bring down low- been compared favourably to the S400,
flying aircraft and even identify and neutralise there’s a significant difference — while
air targets like drones and cruise missiles. the latter can take down long, medium,
and short-range threats, Project Kusha
SAMAR Air Defence Missile System aims at the development of only long-
 Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation range air defence.
(SAMAR) is a short-range air defence system.
 Developed by a unit under the IAF’s Indian Naval Ships
Maintenance Command. (explained in class)
 The system is credited with a maximum range of Project 15:
10–12 km and is used against low-flying aerial  Built Delhi class destroyers which are classified
targets. as guided-missile destroyers.
Project 15A:
Iron Beam  Kolkata class destroyers are a follow-on of the
 Also known as Magen or Light Shield, is a new legendary Project 15 ‘Delhi’ class destroyers.
laser-based missile defence system developed  These are classified as guided missile destroyers.
by Israel.
 It is a directed-energy weapon air defence Project 15B:
system that fires powerful beams of light that  Visakhapatnam class destroyers are
can destroy fast-moving projectiles. indigenously developed missile destroyers,

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
 packed with state-of-the-art weapons & sensors  Stealth Features: As with the 75 submarines,
with modern surveillance radars. they are equipped with advanced acoustic
 INS Visakhapatnam is the first of the four absorption techniques, low radiated noise
‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously levels, long-range guided torpedoes, tube-
designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house launched anti-ship missiles, sonars, and sensor
organisation Directorate of Naval Design and suites.
constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders o Diesel-electric attack Submarines under
Limited, Mumbai. Project 75 need atmospheric oxygen to
 INS Visakhapatnam, was laid down in 2013 and run the diesel generator, which in turn
commissioned in 2021. charges the batteries; hence, they need
 She was followed by the INS Mormugao, which to come to the surface every 48 hours
was laid down in 2015 and commissioned in to be recharged.
2022. o But, with the AIP technology,
 The keel was laid for the third P-15B INS Imphal submarines use fuel cells that will
in 2017, and she commissioned in December enable them to stay submerged for up
2023. to two weeks.
 The fourth and final P-15B INS Surat was laid Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System:
down in November 2019 and is expected to  The AIP is an improvement in the technology
enter service in the next few years. through which the underwater endurance of the
 These are classified as stealth guided-missile submarines can be enhanced so that they can
destroyers. remain underwater for longer durations and
Project 17: their security will not be compromised.
 These are the multi-role frigates and are the  Indigenous AIP by DRDO:
first-of-its-kind warships built in India o The Fuel Cell-powered Air-Independent
incorporating stealth features. Propulsion (AIP) system of DRDO’s
Project 17A: Naval Materials Research Laboratory
 Project 17 Alpha Frigates (P-17A) was launched (NMRL) will be fitted onboard INS
by the Indian Navy in 2019. Kalvari.
 Project 17A Frigates are the follow-on class of INS Arihant:
the Project 17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates, with  INS Arihant is India’s first ballistic missile
improved stealth features, advanced weapons nuclear submarine (SSMN).
and sensors and platform management systems.  It has a displacement of 6,000 tonnes and is
 These frigates are currently being constructed powered by an 83 MW pressurised light-water
by two companies - Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders reactor with enriched uranium.
(MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders &  It is capable of launching a Submarine Launched
Engineers (GRSE). Ballistic Missile (SLBM), validating India’s
 INS Vindhyagiri: second-strike nuclear capability.
o It is the sixth ship of the Project 17A  The Arihant-class submarines are being
Frigates series after INS Nilgiri, Udaygiri, developed and built indigenously under the
Himgiri, Taragiri, and Dunagiri. Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project.
 INS Mahendragiri:  The ATV project began in the 1980s and the first
o The seventh and last stealth frigate of of them, INS Arihant was launched into water in
Project 17A. 2009.
INS Vikrant:  The second Arihant class submarine, INS Arighat
 The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named in was launched in 2017.
honour of her historic predecessor, India's first Varunastra:
aircraft carrier, which played an important part  It is an indigenously designed ship-launched,
in the war of 1971. heavy-weight, electrically-propelled anti-
 It has an overall indigenous content of 76%. submarine torpedo capable of targeting quiet
submarines, both in deep and shallow waters in
Submarines an intense counter-measures environment.
(Explained in class)  Varunastra can be fired from all anti-submarine
Project 75 warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing
Project 75I: heavyweight torpedoes.
 A follow-up to Project 75 is an improvement
upon the design and technology of AIP UAVs
technology, along with other features of its (Given in class)
predecessor. High Altitude Pseudo Satellites:
Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
  Also called High Altitude Platform Stations  Vacuum bombs, which go off in two separate
(HAPS), are solar-powered aircraft positioned stages, can be fired as rockets from tank-
above 20 km altitude in the stratosphere, for mounted launchers or dropped from aircraft.
very long-duration flights counted in months  Vacuum bombs are not prohibited by any
and even years. international law or agreement, but their use
 These unmanned aircraft may be aeroplanes, against civilian populations in built-up areas,
airships or balloons. schools or hospitals could attract action under
 A variety of applications such as the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
telecommunications, emergency/public safety Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW):
communications, intelligent transportation  Smart Anti Airfield Weapons (SAAW) are guided
systems, maritime surveillance, environmental bombs that are capable of destroying a variety
monitoring, land border control applications, of ground targets such as radars, using precision
etc. navigation.
 Compared to ground-based communication  SAAW is indigenously developed by the DRDO.
networks, HAPS can cover larger areas with less Dirty Bomb:
interference.  It is a bomb that contains radioactive material,
 They could also ease data transfer when used as such as uranium, which is scattered through the
an intermediate conduit between satellite and air when its conventional explosive detonates.
ground-based telecom networks.  It doesn't need to contain highly refined
 Unlike regular satellites that are expensive to radioactive material, as is used in a nuclear
build and launch, HAPS costs far less and is bomb. Instead, it could use radioactive materials
easier to launch. from hospitals, nuclear power stations or
Indrajaal: research laboratories.
 India’s first indigenous drone defence dome.
 It can autonomously protect an area of 1000- REAIM 2023 Summit
2000 sq km against aerial threats by assessing  Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit
and acting on aerial threats such as UAVs,  World’s first global summit on Responsible AI in
loitering munitions, and Low-Radar cross- the Military took place in Hague, The
section (RCS) targets. Netherlands. It was co-hosted by South Korea.
 It brought together governments, corporations,
Bombs academia, startups, and civil societies to raise
Cluster Munitions: awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree
 A weapon designed to disperse smaller bombs on common principles in deploying and using AI
over a large area. in armed conflicts.
 They are also known as cluster munitions, with
the smaller bombs referred to as submunitions CDS
or bomblets.  As per the charter, the CDS is a four-star General
 They can be dropped from the air or fired from with a salary and perquisites equivalent to a
the ground/sea, dispersing dozens or hundreds Service Chief.
of bomblets across a large area.  The CDS is first among equals with respect to the
 These explosions pose a grave threat to anyone three Service Chiefs.
in the vicinity, causing death or severe injuries.  The CDS heads the Department of Military
 Some bomblets fail to detonate immediately, Affairs (DMA), the fifth department created in
leaving behind unexploded ordnance that can the Ministry of Defence, as its Secretary.
harm or kill people for years to come  He is also the Principal Military Adviser to the
 The use of cluster bombs has been widely Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman of
condemned internationally. the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
 Over 100 countries have ratified the Convention  CDS is a member of the Defence Acquisition
on Cluster Munitions. Council (DAC).
Thermobaric Bomb:  Gen. Anil Chauhan, on September 30, 2022,
 A vacuum bomb, or thermobaric weapon, sucks assumed charge as the country’s second Chief of
in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate Defence Staff (CDS).
a high-temperature explosion, typically
producing a blast wave of a significantly longer
duration than that of a conventional explosive GSAT-7
and being capable of vaporising human bodies. GSAT-7 (Rukmini):
 It is India’s first military satellite.

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330
  It was launched in August 2013 from an Ariane 5 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to
ECA rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. meet the communication needs of the defence
 It is an advanced communication satellite services.
developed by ISRO and primarily provides  The GSAT 7B will primarily fulfil the
communication services to the Indian Navy. communication needs of the Indian Army.
GSAT 7A (Angry Bird):  It is a geostationary satellite which will
 It primarily provides communication services to considerably enhance the communication
the Indian Air Force. capability of the Indian Army by providing
 It also helps in satellite-controlled operations of mission-critical beyond-the-line-of-sight
UAVs. communication to troops and formations as well
GSAT 7B: as weapon and airborne platforms.
 It is the communication satellite part of the It is the first-ever in the five-tonne category that will be
GSAT-7 series. designed indigenously by the ISRO.
 GSAT 7 series satellites are advanced
communication satellites developed by the

Vajiram & Ravi - An Institute for IAS Preparation | Delhi Branch- 9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-110060 | Chennai Branch - Vajiram &
Ravi New No. 62, P Block, 6th Avenue, Anna nagar, Chennai - 600040 | E-mail: online@[Link] | Tel: 080-6220-6330