Defence
Defence Technology:
Technology: India’s
India’s Strategic
Strategic Initiatives,
Initiatives,
Missile
Missile System,
System, &
& Modernization
Modernization Efforts
Efforts
Table of Contents
1 Defence Technology: India’s Strategic Initiatives, Missile System, & Modernization
Efforts
Defence Technology: India’s Strategic Initiatives,
Missile System, & Modernization Efforts
Organisation Important Information
DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Government of
DEFENCE RESEARCH AND
India.
DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION (DRDO) Established in 1958.
It is a ‘not for profit’ company registered under Section 8 of the
Companies Act 2013.
DEFENSE INNOVATION Its two founding members are Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
ORGANISATION (HAL) & Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) – Defence Public Sector
Undertakings (DPSUs).
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Defence Technology: Committees
Committee Year Purpose
N Chandrasekharan 2018 To study implications of AI in national security.
To suggest measures to enhance combat capability and
Shetkar Committee 2015
rebalance defense expenditure of the armed forces.
Defence Artificial Intelligence It aims for greater impetus on Artificial Intelligence in Defence
2019
Project Agency (DAIPA) Technology.
Defence Technology: India’s Nuclear Doctrine
India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 and the second nuclear test in 1998.
India declared herself a nuclear weapon state in 1998 and came forward with Nuclear Doctrine in
2003.
India’s Nuclear Doctrine consist of the following major points:
Credible Minimum Deterrence.
No First Use policy i.e., India will use the weapon only in retaliation to a nuclear attack on Indian
territory or against Indian forces anywhere.
Nuclear Command Authority-Retaliatory attacks will be authorized only by the civilian political
leadership
Nuclear weapons will not be used against non-nuclear weapon states.
Massive Retaliation.
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Defence Technology: Nuclear Triad
A three-sided military-force structure consisting of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-
armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles.
Land Agni; Agni-I; Agni-II; Agni III; Agni-IV; ICBM – Agni-V; SLBM – Sagarika (K-15); Cruise –
Based Brahmos Supersonic etc.
Sea
Arihant class submarine
Based
Air
Mig-27 ETC
Based
Defence Technology: Missiles
In Defence Technology, a missile is an intelligent unmanned rocket designed to carry the
payload to a designated point with an aim of destroying the object/target.
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Defence Technology: Propulsion Systems
Type of
Features
Propulsion
Solid fuel used, mostly aluminum powder.
Can be easily stored.
Solid propulsion
Reach high speed quickly.
Liquid fuel used, i.e., hydrocarbons.
Storage is difficult and complex.
Liquid Propulsion
Can be controlled easily.
No turbines
Fuel injected and ignited.
Cannot propel aerial vehicles to supersonic speeds.
It is a type of air breathing engine.
Ramjet
The combustion chamber – where the air is mixed with fuel and ignited – only
works at subsonic speeds. So, the intake slows the air down, releasing some
of its energy as a shock wave, but this reduces fuel efficiency.
Supersonic combustion ramjet.
Combustion at supersonic velocities.
Hydrogen fuel used.
It is a type of air breathing engine.
Scramjet India is the fourth country apart from USA, Russia and ESA to demonstrate
this technology.
The combustion chamber is specially designed to operate with supersonic
airflow.
Liquified gasses at very low temp. e.g. Liquid hydrogen.
Need insulated containers and vents.
No air intake is required.
Cryogenic
India is the sixth country apart from the USA, Russia, France, Japan, China to
have this technology.
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Defence Technology: Ballistic And Cruise Missiles
Ballistic Missile Cruise Missile
It is propelled only for a brief duration after the launch.
Self-propelled till the end of its flight.
It depends on gravity to reach its target.
Fixed target and parabolic path Moving target and no fixed path
They leave the earth’s atmosphere(Exosphere)and re- They remain within the earth’s atmosphere-
enter it. Endosphere
Low precision as trajectory depends on gravity, air
High precision
resistance and Coriolis Force.
Can have a very long range (300 km to 12,000 km) The range is small (below 500 km)
Heavy payload carrying capacity. Payload capacity is limited.
Developed primarily to carry conventional
Developed primarily to carry nuclear warheads.
warheads.
E.g. Prithvi I, II, Agni I,II and Dhanush, Prahaar, Prithvi
E.g. BrahMos missiles
and Trishul etc.
Types of ballistic missiles based on range:
Types of cruise missiles based on speed:
1. Short range ballistic missile (SRBM)- 300 to 1. Hypersonic (Mach 5): speed is five
1000 KM times the speed of sound (Mach 5).
2. Medium range (MRBM)- 1000-3500 KM 2. Supersonic (Mach 2-3): speed is faster
3. Intermediate range (IRBM)- 3500-5500 KM than the speed of sound.
4. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)- 5500 3. Subsonic (Mach 0.8): speed is slower
KM than the speed of sound.
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Defence Technology: Indian Missile System
Integrated
Integrated Guided
Guided Missile
Missile Development
Development Programme
Programme (IGMDP):
(IGMDP):
It was conceived by Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to enable India attain self-sufficiency in missile
technology, in response to the Missile Technology Control Regime.
IGMDP was started in 1983 and completed in March 2012.
It developed 5 types of missiles under it.
MISSILE DETAILS
It is an intercontinental surface-to-surface, nuclear capable ballistic missile developed
by DRDO.
At present, US, China, Russia, UK, France and Israel are known to have ICBMs.
AGNI It has been equipped with very high accuracy.
Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and Micro Navigation System
(MINS).
Tactical surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile.
First missile developed under IGMDP in 1983.
Uses either liquid or both liquid and solid fuels and are capable of carrying conventional
as well as nuclear warhead.
PRITHVI
Prithvi I- Army version-150 km range
Prithvi II- Air force version-350 km range
Prithvi III- Naval version-600 km range
Short range surface-to-air missile for Indian Navy used for Immediate combat action.
Range – 9km.
TRISHUL
Currently not in service.
Anti-tank missile.
Range – 4km.
3rd generation ‘fire and forget’ guided missile where the target is identified and
NAG designated before the weapon is launched.
It is an all-weather condition with day and night capabilities.
Launched from land and air-based platforms.
Group of 4 medium range surface-to-air missiles with a radar called Rajendra.
Multi-target engagement capacity. Radar detects incoming objects and missiles are
fired.
AKASH
Range – 30 km. Altitudes up to 18000 m.
Already in use.
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Defence Technology: Other Missiles
Astra is an all-weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
Range – 80km.
Payload capacity: 15 kg.
First indigenously developed missile of India
ASTRA
Uses solid fuel ducted Ramjet and has BVRAAM (beyond visual range air-to-air
missile) technology.
Can destroy enemy aircrafts at supersonic speed.
solid-fuel, surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile
Range – 150 km.
PRAHAAR
Payload capacity – 200 to 500kg.
PRALAY solid fuel surface-to-surface tactical missile.
Payload – 1 tonne and has a range of 350 km.
NIRBHAY is India’s first indigenous Long Range, all-weather, Subsonic Cruise
Missile,
It can carry a warhead of 200 kg to 300 kg at a speed of 0.6 to 0.7 Mach with a
launch weight of about 1500 kg.
It can avoid detection as it has the ability to cruise at heights as low as 100 m.
NIRBHAY
Can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional
and nuclear warheads.
Two-stage missile powered by Solid rocket motor booster.
Range of 1000 km.
Sea-to-sea/surface short range ballistic missile.
Range – 350 km.
DHANUSH
Capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
BRAHMOS is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development
Organisation of India (DRDO) and the NPOM of Russia.
Named after the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).
Two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in second)
air-to-surface missile.
Range – around 300 km.
Speed – Mach 2.8
BRAHMOS
India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has extended the
MISSILE
SYSTEM range of the BRAHMOS missile to reach 450 km-600km.
Can be launched from land, air, and sea and multi capability missile with pinpoint
accuracy that works in both day and night irrespective of the weather conditions.
Operates on the “Fire and Forgets” principle.
One of the fastest cruise missiles currently operationally deployed.
Lower target dispersion and quicker engagement.
Low radar signature.
Indigenous multi-barrel rocket launch system, for the Indian Army by DRDO
PINAKA The navigation system – aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
MISSILE (IRNSS).
SYSTEM Range is more than 70 km.
It is the first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country.
Range of up to 200 km depending upon the launch conditions.
can be launched from altitudes of 500 m to 15 km and speeds of 0.6 to 2 mach.
RudraM-I
can locate and target any radiation-emitting source like enemy radars,
communication sites and other Radio Frequency (RF) emitting targets.
To develop highly potent Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT).
It is a joint programme of DRDO and the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO).
Anti-satellite (ASAT) System is a missile-based system to attack moving satellites.
ASAT propels India to the coveted space-superpower league.
India will now have the power to decimate satellites for pure military and strategic
Anti-satellite purposes.
weapons
India will have the capability to interfere with satellites or engage in direct attacks.
(ASAT)
MISSION ASAT missiles can be air, sea or land based.
SHAKTI Can also help in creating nuclear missile deterrence.
In March 2019, India successfully tested its ASAT missile.
joining a select group of nations – USA, Russia and China with a similar
technology.
India used the Kinetic Kill space technology.
The ASAT missile destroyed a live satellite in Low Earth orbit (283-kilometer).
As per DRDO, the missile is capable of shooting down targets moving at a speed
of 10 km per second at an altitude as high as 1200 km.
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Defence Technology: Air Defence Systems
Indian
Indian Ballistic
Ballistic Missile
Missile Defence
Defence Programme:
Programme:
India’s BMD development began in 1999, after the Kargil war.
It is a two-tiered defense system and will be able to intercept any incoming missile launched 5,000
km away.
1. Prithvi Air Defence (PAD): It’s designed for High altitude interception (exo-atmospheric interception).
2. Advanced Air Defence (AAD): It’s endo-atmospheric interception system (for low altitude
interception).
Defence Technology: Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems
Russia -It is a mobile, surface-to-air missile
S-400 TRIUMF MISSILE SYSTEM
system .
THAAD-Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
US- a transportable, ground-based
system
Iron Dome Aerial Defence System Israel
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Defence Technology: Navy
SUBMARINES:
SUBMARINES:
Gets energy from a nuclear reactor so it can stay submerged in water for months.
Difficult for the enemy to detect.
Can float near territorial waters of enemy nations.
Provide excellent second-striking capability
Nuclear-
SSN: submersible ship nuclear-powered-specifically designed for attacking and
powered
sinking other submarines/ships. Generally, do not carry long range missiles.
SSBN: submersible ship Ballistic Nuclear-Powered-have the capability to deploy
submarine launched ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
Come on waterbody surface after regular intervals because burning of diesel
needs oxygen
Diesel- Easy for enemy to detect
powered Can’t float near territorial waters of enemy nation
Don’t possess that advantage
Generally small submarines designed for specific tasks, which include attack on
the enemy in combat.
Attack It uses torpedoes and other small range missiles.
Submarines These submarines have limited range and need to come out of the water after
some time.
Bigger in size and are more destructive for the enemy.
It is used as a launch platform for ballistic or long-range missiles.
Ballistic These can carry nuclear warheads.
Missile These submarines are nuclear powered submarines. As a result, they have almost
Submarines unlimited range because of the availability of unlimited power supply.
These can remain underwater for months and can travel up to thousand miles.
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Defence Technology: In-Service
Class Type Boats Origin
Nuclear-powered submarines (3)
Chakra (Akula II) class Attack submarine (SSN) INS Chakra Russia
INS Arihant
Arihant class Ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) India
INS Arigha
Diesel-electric submarines (14)
INS Shishumar
INS Shankush West Germany
Shishumar class Attack submarine
INS Shalki India
INS Shankul
INS Kalvari France
Kalvari class Attack submarine
INS Khanderi India
INS Sindhughosh
INS Sindhudhvaj
INS Sindhuraj
INS Sindhuratna
Sindhughosh class Attack submarine Russia
INS Sindhukesari
INS Sindhukirti
INS Sindhuvijay
INS Sindhurashtra
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Defence Technology: Projects By Navy
Project
Features
Name
Part of a 30-year submarine building plan from 2007 up to 2030.
This project envisages the construction of six conventional submarines with better
PROJECT 75 sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP)- Kalvari,
Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, Vagir and Vagsheer.
Under this 4 Anti-Submarine Warships have to be built indigenously in India.
Four corvettes- INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti.
PROJECT 28
The warships are named after the islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
PROJECT Involves the building of seven stealth frigates.
17A
Defence Technology: Initiatives To Modernize Defence Industry
Strategic This Defence Technology Model identifies a few Indian private companies who would
Partnership initially tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology
(SP) Model transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.
Launched in 2018.
This Defence Technology initiative aims to promote innovation and technology
development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries (which includes
iDEX
MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia)with funding
and other support to carry out Research & Development.
It will be funded and managed by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) and
will function as the executive arm of DIO.
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Defence Technology: Defence Indigenisation
Raising the sectoral cap of foreign direct investment (FDI) (automatic approval) from the existing
49% to 74%.
A negative list for the import of defense equipment in India- means that the Armed Force will only
procure all of these 101 items from domestic manufacturers.
Corporatization of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Defence industrial corridors in Tamil
Nadu and UP.
SRIJAN portal for domestic vendors- one stop shop online portal that will give information on items
that can be taken up for indigenization by the private sector.
Naval Innovation and Indigenization Organisation (NIIO) has been launched by the Defence Minister
of India.
Objective– To foster innovation and indigenization for self-reliance in defense in keeping with the
vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti -to promote a culture of innovation and technology development and
for promoting the creation of Intellectual Property in the sector and its commercial utilization.
Defence Technology: Defense Corridors
Proposed to det up two defense corridors at Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In Defence Technology, Defence corridors refers to a route or path along which domestic
production of defense equipment by the public sector, private to enhance the defense capability.
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Defence Technology: New Defence Acquisition Procedure of
2020 (DAP 2020)
DAP 2020 will govern the procurement of defense equipment from the capital budget.
It superseded the Defence Procurement Procedure of 2016.
Reservation in Categories for Indian Vendors– Some categories like Buy (Indian Indigenously
Designed Developed and Manufactured -IDDM), Production Agency in Design & Development etc.
will be exclusively reserved for Indian Vendors.
Overall Greater indigenous content requirement:
Category DPP 2016 DAP 2020
Buy (Indian-DMM) Min 40% Min 50%
Indigenous Design –
Min 50%
Buy (Indian) Min 40%
otherwise – Min
60%
Buy and Make (Indian) Min 50% of Make Min 50% of Make
Buy (Global – Manufacture category does Min 50% of Buy plus
in India) not exist Make
category does Min 30% for Indian
Buy (Global)
not exist Vendors
Measuring indigenous content- Indigenous content will now be calculated on ‘Base Contract
Price’–Total Contract Price, less taxes and duties.
Import embargo list
Offset liability-The government has decided not to have an offset clause in procurement of defense
equipment if the deal is done through inter-government agreement (IGA), government-to-
government, single vendor.
Leasing was introduced as a new category for acquisition in addition to the existing ‘Buy’ and
‘Make’ categories so that periodical rental payments are made instead of huge capital investment.
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Defence Technology: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)/Drones in Defence Technology are a class of aircrafts that can fly
without the onboard presence of pilots.
There are three subsets of Unmanned Aircraft- Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Autonomous Aircraft and
Model Aircraft.
Some UAV used by Indian Military are: DRDO Abhyas; DRDO Fluffy; DRDO Imperial Eagle; DRDO
Kapothaka; DRDO Lakshya; DRDO Netra; DRDO Nishant; DRDO Rustom & Rustom II; DRDO Ulka.
Defence Technology: India Drone Regulations
India has a ‘No Permission-No Takeoff’ (NPNT) clause, which implies that a drone cannot be
operated in Indian skies unless the regulatory permission is received through the Digital Sky
Platform
Registration is required for all but the Nano category.
Defence Technology: Drone Categories in India
1. Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams
2. Micro: From 250 grams to 2 kg
3. Small: From 2 kg to 25 kg
4. Medium: From 25 kg to 150 kg
5. Large: Greater than 150kg
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Current Issues
1.RAFALE
2.TEJAS
Defence Technology: Chemical Weapons
A Chemical Weapon in Defence Technology is a chemical used to cause
intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Equipment
Definition specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall under this
definition.
CWC is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their
destruction within a specified period of time.
It is implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Chemical Weapons
Weapons (OPCW)
Convention (CWC)
Three states have neither signed nor ratified the convention are Egypt,
North Korea and South Sudan.
Headquarter-Hague, Netherlands.
OPCW was established by the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1997 to
Organization for the implement and enforce the terms of the non-proliferation treaty.
Prohibition of It is authorized to perform inspections, perform testing of sites and victims
Chemical Weapons of suspected chemical weapons attacks to verify that signatory states are
(OPCW) complying with the convention.
OPCW won the 2013 Nobel peace prize.
India ratified the CWC in 1996.
As a state party to the CWC India enacted the Chemical Weapons
Convention Act in 2000.
Chemical weapons
National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) has been
and India
established under the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000 for
implementing the provisions of the Convention
Chlorine gas – Choking agent
Sarin gas – Nerve agent.
Novichok -Nerve Agent- 5-8 times more lethal than VX nerve agent.
Chemical agents in Cyanide- Blood Agent
news Phosgene, Sulphur Mustard- Blister agents
VX- very persistent once in the atmosphere, it is slow to evaporate, and
thus tends to cause prolonged exposure.
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Defence Technology: Biological Weapons
In Defence Technology, Biological weapons are microorganisms like virus, bacteria, fungi, or
other toxins that are produced and released deliberately to cause disease and death in
humans, animals or plants. Examples- anthrax, botulinum toxin, Plague, Ricin etc.
Biological Agents Chemical Agents
Natural origin Man-made
Difficult, costly, small-scale
Large-scale, cheaper, industrial production
production
Many have noticeable odor or taste. One exception is sarin gas,
Odourless and tasteless
which is both odorless and tasteless.
Disseminated as aerosols in air
Disseminated as aerosols or liquids
or in water or food
Most won’t penetrate skin Can penetrate skin
Delayed onset of physical effects Has immediate physical effects
Crisis measured in weeks,
Crisis typically measured in hours, days
months
Delayed response that would
Immediate, large response for some agents. Delayed for others.
build
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Defence Technology: Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)
It is the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the development, production and stockpiling
of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. BWC entered into force on 26 March 1975.
India signed the convention in 1973.
The BWC bans:
The development, stockpiling, acquisition, retention, and production of:
Biological agents and toxins “of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic,
protective or other peaceful purposes;”
Weapons, equipment, and delivery vehicles “designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile
purposes or in armed conflict.”
The transfer of or assistance with acquiring the agents, toxins, weapons, equipment, and
delivery vehicles described above.
