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Tall on Claims, Short on Delivery
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DRDO’s BMD programme has a long way to go |
DRDO BMD Progrgamme
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Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala Wahab
FORCE is fortunate to have met the director general, defence research and development organisation (DRDO) Dr V.K. Saraswat for a comprehensive one-on-one briefing (FORCE, March 2010) on India’s home-grown ballistic missile defence (BMD). While we thank Saraswat for sharing his BMD achievements and plans with FORCE, we could not be unmindful of the national good. Having attended Saraswat’s subsequent media briefings on BMD, the picture that emerges can be summed up: More boasts than substance on the BMD is working to Pakistan’s strategic advantage. It is not that Saraswat has gone out of his way to make tall claims. By not giving the perspective to the irrepressible media on a less understood subject, the DRDO, much by default has strengthened Pakistan’s case for increasing its ballistic missiles inventory. Moreover, his remarks on the Chinese 2007 demonstrated anti-satellite capability would have amused them.
Saraswat says that the BMD programme started in 1995 is a ‘technological
demonstrator’, implying that the government has not yet decided to convert this
into a weapon platform. A total of two Exo-atmospheric interceptor tests have
been done achieving altitudes of 48km and 80km, and two Endo-atmospheric tests
have been done at altitudes of 15km and 18km. The Exo-interceptor is PAD, a
derivative of the indigenous Prithvi ballistic missile, and the Endo-interceptor
is AAD, inspired by the indigenous medium range surface-to-air Akash missile
with a 25km maximum slant range. The PAD, later called PAD-I, is a two stage
interceptor missile, a solid propellant second stage rocket is mounted on top of
the liquid propellant Prithvi. To achieve high terminal speed, a liquid
‘divert-thruster’ is placed on top of the second stage solid propellant.
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The ‘divert-thruster’ and the payload are fired simultaneously towards the
target once they are within the seeker range (Radio Frequency) of 30 to 40km.
Thus, the maximum PAD interception has been at the altitude of 80km. Saraswat
had hoped to do another PAD test (to be called PDV) in 2010 at the altitude of
150km for intercepting 2,000km range ballistic missile. At present, PAD cannot
hit more than 1,000km range missiles. However, after the fourth 6 March 2011
interceptor (Endo-atmospheric at 15km altitude) test, Saraswat, told the media
that the PAD test to reach 150km altitude would now be done in 2011, thereafter,
phase I (two-layered ballistic missile shield) of the programme would be over,
and India will have the capability to intercept 2,000km range ballistic
missiles. |
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