11 Sep 14. India successfully test-fires nuclear capable Agni-I missile.
The Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) has successfully test-fired the indigenously built short-range Agni-1 missile from Wheeler’s Island, off the Odisha Coast. Propelled by solid rocket propellant system, the nuclear capable surface-to-surface missile was tested for its full strike range of 700km and was carrying a total payload mass of 1,100kg. SFC carried out the launch as part of a periodic training exercise to further consolidate operational readiness. Sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships tracked the trajectory of the missile until it hit the target area with pin-point accuracy. The single-stage, road and rail-mobile Agni-1 features a specialised navigation system, which helps the missile to reach target with a high degree of accuracy and precision. Agni-I is designed to bridge the gap between the indigenously built short-range Prithvi and medium-range Agni-II. Powered by both solid and liquid propellants, the 15m-long missile weighs around 12t and is capable of carrying a combined conventional and nuclear payload of nearly one tonne. The missile is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads at a speed of 2.5km/s. The Agni-I was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP) in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat, and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). In April, the Indian Army launched the last trial of the Agni-I missile from the same base. (Source: army-technology.com)
11 Sep 14. Russia successfully tests Bulava missile aboard new nuclear submarine. Russia has successfully tested the new Bulava (SS-NX-32) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the White Sea aboard the yet to be commissioned new-generation nuclear-powered Borei-class submarine, Vladimir Monomakh, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has said. Conducted as part of the submarine’s weapons and systems testing, the missile was launched from an underwater position and its warheads reached the Kura firing range in Kamchatka, Russian Far East. Russia Naval commander-in-chief admiral Viktor Chirkov was quoted by Interfax as saying: “In October and November of this year, the naval fleet will carry out two more launches with two rocket cruisers equipped with ballistic missiles.” The Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology-built Bulava missile, which has a range of more than 8,000km, is designed to replace the R-39UTTH Bark missile on-board the submarines and is capable of carrying up to ten MIRV warheads. Russia has conducted about 20 Bulava tests; eight were successful; four partially successful and the rest were failures, including the one that was executed last September in the White Sea. The latest test launch is aimed at making the ICBM R-30 Bulava a key nuclear warhead for ballistic missile submarines of the Borei-class, which would replace the Russian Navy’s ageing Delta III, Delta IV and Typhoon classes. The Vladimir Monomakh submarine is the third of eight vessels that are expected to be delivered to the navy by 2015. The first in the class of the submarines, Yury Dolgoruky, was formally inducted into the service in January 2013, while the second vessel Alexander Nevsky was commissioned in late December 2013. Knyaz Vladimir, the fourth submarine was laid down in 2012. Recently, France had reportedly pulled out from its earlier plans to deliver two controversial Mistral-class warships to the Russian Navy next month, citing conditions for delivery as being ‘not right’ amid growing conflicts in Ukraine. (Source: naval-technology.com)
04 Sep 14. Boeing and the U.S. Army have proven the capabilities of the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) in maritime conditions, successfully targeting a variety of aerial targets