NEW DELHI: DRDO on Friday evening launched the maiden test of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off the Odisha coast. “Though the test-launch doesn’t look like that of an Agni-6 missile, the missile tested today is of ICBM category,” a defence source confirmed to TOI. However, DRDO is yet to officially announce about the missile test. Days ago, TOI had reported that DRDO was going to launch a missile test of ICBM category. Only four countries – US, Russia, China and North Korea – possess ICBM technology and have deployed ICBMs with over 12,000-km range. France and Britain possess operational nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) technology. If India perfects ICBM capability, any country in the world, including the US, will come in its missile strike range. The launch came days after DRDO chairman Samir V Kamath, during a defence summit, had said about Agni-6 that “the moment govt gives permission, we are ready to move forward. All technical preparations are complete”. The possession of nuclear-capable ICBM technology means the ability to respond to a nuclear attack, thus preventing any country from attacking first. It also demonstrates mastery in complex rocket propulsion, guidance systems and re-entry technology.
India gets tech to turn ‘dumb’ warhead into ‘smart’ weapon
India has developed a glide weapon system technology that can convert an unguided (“dumb”) warhead into a guided (“smart”) weapon, marking its entry into an elite group of countries that possess advanced stand-off weapons capabilities, reports Surendra Singh. On Thursday, DRDO and IAF jointly conducted the first flight-trial of Tactical Advanced Range Augmentationweapon off Odisha’s coast, the defence ministry said Friday. The modular range extension kit is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system to convert unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons.
