Mighty India Power

Isro’s 2010 space dream should be a technological leapfrog. It will soon launch the GSLV-D3 rocket with an indigenous (Indian) cryogenic stage and engine for the first time in the country’s space history. The space agency has so far been launching GSLV rockets on borrowed Russian technology. The GSLV launch, if successful, will make India only the fifth or sixth country in the world to launch a rocket with indigenous cryogenic technology. The cryogenic stage is the upper stage of the rocket that will house the cryogenic engine within it. “Cryogenic technology involves the use of super-cooled liquid fuel to launch heavy rockets like GSLV with the fuel being a mix of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Launching rockets with liquid fuel of the cryogenic kind has never been easy and Isro will do it this time on its own with the stage and engine developed by itself,” Isro officials said. Isro achieved a significant milestone recently when it successfully tested the cryogenic stage. The tes...

Russia will help India build a manned spacecraft and send an Indian into space by 2020 under a 10-year cooperation programme using the technology it uses to build its Soyuz spacecraft, an official of the Russian space agency Roskosmos said in Moscow on Wednesday. "The Indian side intends to use the experience of building the manned spaceship Soyuz to advance in building their own spaceship. We will build this spaceship on a similar technical scheme, but it will not resemble Soyuz," Alexei Krasnov, chief of the department of piloted programmes at Roskomos, said. The spaceship would be smaller than the Soyuz, as Indian launch vehicles are too light to deliver a full-size Soyuz into orbit. "With Roskosmos's appropriate support we will be able to reequip technically and increase the production of the spaceships," Krasnov said. Krasnov noted, ''It is not surprising that India has turned to Russia for help in its space programme, as we have been cooperat...

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will take up the indigenous development of a medium altitude long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question today that the development would be undertaken against against confirmed Qualitative Requirements (QRs) to meet the requirements of the three Services. Mr Antony said the UAV had been named Rustom-H. The Indian industry would be the development-cum-production partner for the project, which is expected to be completed in 78 months after formal sanction

Dr. Anil Kakodkar, who has recently relinquished charge as Chairman Atomic Energy Commission claimed on Sunday that India had credible thermo-nuclear bombs in its arsenal.“I think that is guaranteed. The Army should be fully confident and defend the country. There is no issue about the arsenal at their command,” Kakodkar said in an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN Devils Advocate programme. When Kakodkar was asked about low yield of 1998 thermo-nuclear tests as pointed by four leading Indian scientists and international experts, Kakodkar claimed the yield of thermo-nuclear tests was verified, not by one method but several redundant methods based on different principles, done by different groups. Review was made and “I had described the tests in 1998 as perfect and I stand by that,” he said. Indian scientists Dr Santhanam, Dr Iyengar, Dr Sethna and Dr Prasad·have raised serious doubts about India’s thermo-nuclear tests of 1998 while Dr Santhanam said “we have hard evidence o...

  Balasore: India Sunday successfully tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile Dhanush from a warship in the Bay of Bengal, an official said. Dhanush, the naval version of the Prithvi missile, was launched from INS Subhadra that was anchored about 35 nautical miles offshore from the test range of Chandipur in Balasore district, 230 km from Bhubaneswar. The missile, which has a range of 350 km and carries a nuclear warhead of about 500 kg, was fired at 11.31 a.m. All the operations for the launch were carried out by Naval personnel. "It has met all the mission objectives. All the events occurred as expected and were monitored by the range sensors. It was a text book launch and a fantastic mission accomplished," the official said. V.K. Saraswat, scientific advisor to the defence minister, and director general and secretary, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was on-board the ship during the mission. Prithvi is part of India's ambitious i...

India’s first science satellite Astrosat is all set to be launched next year, former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Madhavan Nair said today. One more satellite ‘Aditya’ to study Sun’s coronal mass ejection (CME) would be launched in two years while the science mission to planet Mars by 2013, Nair said, addressing a galaxy of scientists from India and abroad and the student community at the Grand Finale function of Bhabha Centenary celebrations, which concluded today. The multi-wavelength astronomy mission Astrosat on an Indian remote sensing satellite-class satellite in a 650-km, near-equatorial orbit would be launched next year, he said, adding it will be launched by the Indian launch vehicle PSLV from the Sriharikota launchpad. The expected operating life time of the satellite will be of five years. ‘Adiyta’ will be launched in next two years to study the properties of CMEs, that are gigantic bubbles of electrified gas that billow away from the Sun.

India has successfully conducted its first night-trial of nuclear-capable Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile from Wheeler island off Orissa coast. It had been decided to test the nuclear capable Agni-II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) for the first time during night, defence officials had said in Balasore on Sunday. "Range integration work in Integrated Test Range (ITR) for the proposed trial has been completed and if final check-up in the sub-system of the missile is found flawless, the mission will be taken up tomorrow," the officials had said. A special 'strategic forces team' raised by the Army conducted the trial with necessary logistic support by various ITR laboratories and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists. The indigenous weapon is a two-stage solid propelled ballistic missile and has a weight of 17 tonnes and length of 20 metres. It can carry a payload of one tonne over a distance...

Fresh tests of the endo-atmospheric anti-ballistic missile system may be conducted in December-January, VK Saraswat, scientific advisor to the defence minister, said on Wednesday. "The first phase of the missile defence shield has been going on for years now and fresh tests are likely in December-January," he said at a seminar on fuel cell technology. The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), which Saraswat heads, aims to develop interceptors that can destroy intermediate-range ballistic missiles. In phase-II, DRDO will develop missiles to neutralise inter-continental ballistic missiles. The phase, however, is in the design stage.

Hydrogen Cell Technology will become a feasible alternative for defence purpose in five years, a top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official has said. "It will be possible to use hydrogen cell technology for on-board and off board requirements in guns and other defence systems besides electricity requirements of the defence infrastructure," Dr V K Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DG, DRDO, said. “While the cost of generation of electricity using hydrogen cell is around $3,000 per kilo watt, the cost using traditional fuels is just $30 per kilo watt," said Saraswat on the sidelines of International Symposium on Fuel Cell Technologies - Fucetech 2009. However, the cost can be decreased by one tenth, when the generation of electricity using hydrogen cell takes place at a big level. The role of Research & Development must be employed to cut the cost of electricity using hydrogen cell. Dr K Kasturirangan, Member Planning C...

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) along with Indian defence agencies are developing technology to build recoverable hypersonic missiles which will be half the size of the current missiles. This missile will have the potential of hitting a target over 5,000 km away at more than five times the speed of sound (Mach5) and can also be used to launch satellites at low cost, a top scientist working on the project told ET. No time frame has been announced as yet on when the missile work will be completed. This is of special significance as institutions like the Nasa is experimenting on unmanned projects where they will use hypersonic flights to conduct space exploration. Missiles which fly at Mach 3-4 (three to four times the speed of sound) belong to the high supersonic class, while hypersonic missiles can fly at more than Mach 5. India’s longest-range missile, Agni III, is capable of hitting targets 3,500 km away and the forthcoming Agni V which has a range of about 5,...

India’s missile programme took a crucial step forward on Saturday with Indian Air Force test pilots carrying out the captive flight trials of the indigenously designed and developed Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). A Su-30MKI combat aircraft especially tasked for the trials took off from Air Force Station Lohegaon (Pune) for a 90-minute sortie with the Astra missile. Till Thursday, four sorties, including flying the missile to super sonic speeds and to 7Gs, had been accomplished. Captive trials are mandatory to actual firing of the missile from the aircraft. The active, radar homing Astra -- India’s first air-to-air missile -- which, at its design altitude of 15 km, will enable fighter pilots to lock-on, evade radar and shoot down enemy aircraft about 80 km away, is part of India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and has been under development at a number of defence laboratories led by the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Labora...

An overview by Dr. Monika Chansoria of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies 09:18 GMT, October 30, 2009 India Strategic | South Asia's feeble political and strategic equations are reflected in the volatility of its security arrangements. The evolution of elements that have been crucial towards galvanizing India's strategic response crucially include its missile programme as an unassailable part of that strategy. The past decades have witnessed phenomenal surges in missile technology and intrusions into outer space. India, however, did not have a credible missile programme by means of which it could boast of a sturdy arsenal of missile systems of that point. India's missile programme can be stated to be an offshoot of its space programme, beginning 1967. Subsequently, in 1972, Rohini, a 560 two-stage, solid propulsion sounding rocket, was developed and test fired, capable of reaching an altitude of 334km with a 100kg payload. India first launched its small 17-tonne SLV-...

Post Chandrayaan ISRO invites astronauts for manned lunar mission. Two eligible Indian citizens can grab the unique chance to hitch a ride to the moon onboard ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization)’s next manned spacecraft slated for launch in 2015. An announcement inviting applications from wannabe Indian astronauts fit physically and mentally, and willing to face challenges was made by Dr TK Alex, director of ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore. After the widely lauded success of its maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-I, ISRO had publicized its plans for a manned space mission. Chandrayaan-I was a landmark achievement in that, the mission had confirmed presence of water on the moon. Indian Planning Commission earmarked $2.5 billion for the mission months ago. ISRO’s Chairman G Madhavan Nair had on several occasions spoken about Chandrayaan-II’s slated 2013 launch. Chandrayaan-II will be a joint mission by India and Russia. Madhavan Nair had told reports that ISRO is under...

The Indian Navy will get a dedicated communications satellite next year which will ensure robust and secure communications for this youngest of India's defence services. The satellite will help boost the navy's network-centric operations and connectivity at sea, according to defence minister AK Antony. Antony, who was addressing the Naval Senior Officer's Conference here, said India's growing stature would also lead to increased expectations that it would maintain military balance and security in the Indian Ocean Region. Keeping this in mind, it was important that efforts were made to enhance the navy's maritime domain awareness and that requirements to meet these needs were put on a fast track. ''The launch of the naval communication satellite next year will significantly improve connectivity at sea,'' Antony said. With the launch of this satellite the Indian Navy would take the lead among the three defence services in having its own dedicated...

This one is on the lines of free-market commercials: Ask for one and get at least four free! The difference is that it is not a shirt or a pair of jeans. It's a single rocket capable of delivering multiple warheads - even non-conventional nuclear systems - at different targets. The country is on the verge of getting one as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is validating technologies that will help India deploy multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) on its missiles. Currently, the country has missiles that can deliver only one warhead at a time. The defence research establishment has confirmed that it has made significant progress over the past few years in developing an indigenous technology for the single-rocket-multiplewarhead system. In another three-four years, this ultimate war machine will be ready. The DRDO says the platform for re-entry vehicles would be different from the indigenously developed Agni series of missiles. Since...

India's ambitious programme to develop a sophisticated light-weight fighter aircraft moved ahead another step with the Indian Air Force conducting a five-week multi-disciplinary trial with two Tejas aircraft at its Jamnagar air base in Gujarat. The trials take the programme closer to achieving Initial Operational Capability (IOC) - a task that the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which manages the Tejas programme, is committed to achieve by the end of 2010. "The trials entailed flight envelope expansion in various stores configurations, as well as air-to-ground weapon delivery trials in different modes of weapon delivery," a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official said here today. According to officials, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) successfully demonstrated its ability to tackle targets designated visually by the pilot. With this phase behind it the LCA will now test its ability to let its on-board navigation and attack computers take o...

The Astra, built by the Defence R&D Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, will allow IAF pilots to hit enemy aircraft up to 44 km away, at altitudes up to 20,000 metres. Improving on that will be the Astra Mk II, with a longer range of 80 km. The Astra incorporates many cutting-edge technologies. Here is how an Astra would take on an enemy fighter: an IAF fighter’s radar picks up the target; the pilot launches an Astra missile. A high-energy propellant quickly boosts the missile to several times the speed of sound. At ranges beyond 15 km, the Astra cannot “see” its target, so the IAF fighter guides the missile, relaying the target’s continually changing position over a secure radio link. Once it is 15 km from the target, the Astra’s onboard seeker picks up the target; after that the Astra homes in on its own. At this point, the target would start turning and diving to throw off the missile. But the Astra manoeuvres better, and moves much faster, than even the most agile fighters. A rad...

Dispute between India and China has been deepened these days over the unwanted Arunachal issue. And the fight for supremacy in the South Asia has begun some years ago but recent report said that the dragons are scared of India's proposed Agni V missile. India's Agni series missile Agni V, which is scheduled to to be test-fired in 2011, has scared China. According to a Chinese newspaper report, the Communist country has been scared of the reach of Agni V. India's long-range nuclear capable missile Agni V can target any part of China. The report claimed that Agni V has put China in a fix over its reach.

India and Russia will launch the joint fifth generation fighters by year end and have agreed to collaborate to develop heavy lift cargo helicopters and futuristic infantry combat vehicles. The path for more hi-tech defence collaboration between Moscow and New Delhi was paved with the signing of the joint defence protocol by Defence Minister AK Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov. The protocol extends military interaction between the two countries till 2020 and this is expected to make the path clear for inking more major defence joint ventures during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in early December. The protocol was signed here at the end of 9th session of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on military-technical cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) after assurances from Moscow that all pending issues like the delivery of aircraft carrier Gorshkov and nuclear submarine Nerpa would be resolved at the earliest. The protocol provides for complet...

Agni-5, India's latest long-range nuclear-capable missile under development, can target China's northernmost city of Harbin, a leading Chinese newspaper has claimed amid a slew of strident anti-India articles over the status of Arunachal Pradesh. "India's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) has made its forthcoming Agni-5 missile highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road, which would bring Harbin, China's northernmost city within striking range if the Agni-5 is moved to northeast India," the People's Daily reported. Harbin is the capital of China's Heilongjiang Province. The paper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, noted that the Agni-5 which has a range of 5,000 km is similar to the Dongfeng-31A showcased during China's National Day Military Parade on October 1 in Beijing. India is going to test-fire the missile in early 2011, the report claimed. The report came two days after China raked up its claim over Arunacha...

Set against the backdrop of American financial Tsunami, the rise of China and Russia, the predicament of the U.S in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S policy failures on North Korea and Iran, the Indo-U.S Nuclear deal has profound strategic and defense implications. The Nuclear deal is going to place India as the de-facto P-6 country in the globe. It is now better placed on the diplomatic plane with excellent relationship with the two strongest military powers of the globe. In the fields of diplomatic, military, trade and technological co-operations, India is to gain the maximum from these rivals. Besides, the agreement has opened up doors of trade, scientific and technological co-operation with the EU countries like France, Germany and Italy. The just concluded agreement with France, for producing medium-range fighter aircraft engine Kaveri, which was under American sanction, points to the immense possibilities. China, rising to the superpower status with a phenomenal speed, must take in...

The Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad, which develops India’s strategic (long-range, nuclear-tipped) missiles, has dramatically increased the options for its forthcoming Agni-5 missile by making it highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road. That enables the Agni-5 to reach targets far beyond its stated 5,000-km range by quickly moving closer to the target. In a hypothetical war against, say, Sweden, an Agni-5 launcher, stationed near Bangalore, would be unable to strike Stockholm, 7,000 km away. But moving by road to Amritsar would bring Stockholm within range. Similarly, moving the Agni-5 to northeast India would bring even Harbin, China's northernmost city, within striking range. From various places across India, the Agni-5 can reach every continent except North and South America. The Agni-5 will be the first canisterised, road-mobile missile in India's arsenal, similar to the Dongfeng-31A that created ripples during China's National Day Mil...

India on Monday successfully test-fired two of its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missiles from a military range in the eastern state of Orissa, defence officials said. The missiles, with a strike range of about 350 kilometres, were fired at five-minute intervals from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipore-on-Sea, India's Defence Ministry said in a statement. "The two missiles aimed at two different targets at about 350 kilometres from the launch point, met all the mission objectives," the ministry said. Two naval ships tracked and monitored both missiles hitting the targets "very accurately," it said. Prithvi, which means "Earth" in the Hindi language, is India's first locally built ballistic missile. It is about 9 metres in length and 1 metre in diameter, and is capable of carrying a payload of 500 kilograms, including nuclear weapons. Two versions of the missile have been deployed with India's army and air force. Mo...

Days after China’s display of military might, India has lined up a series of tests of some of the country’s most sophisticated missiles over the next two months. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will conduct the tests of Prithvi and Agni-II in October. The trials of BrahMos and K-15 will be held in November. And from Monday, the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore will host a three-day target simulation exercise involving pilotless target aircraft (PTA) for the Indian Air Force. Official sources said these tests have nothing to do with China’s display. Preparations for the tests have already begun and scientists are leaving no stone unturned for the successful trials of these missiles, considered as most powerful in the country’s arsenal. Though all the tests are user-trials, the focus will be on Agni-II and K-15 missiles. ``All the four missiles have already been tested successfully from the ITR and apart from K-15, other three have been i...

As part of its ambitious manned space flights programme, India has sought a Russian spaceship for sending “space tourists” into orbit, an official said. “Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has applied for acquiring a spaceship for sending space tourists,” Russian space agency, Roscosmos’ spokesman Alexei Krasnov said. He said the deal would be commercial and two space travellers could fly in the non-reusable ‘Soyuz TMA’ ship to be piloted by a Russian cosmonaut. Krasnov, however, did not provide details about the deal or the value of the contract. “It depends on the route and duration of the flight, which are yet to be finalised,” he said. According to Russian media Roscosmos charges about $35 million for a space tourist’s 10-day flight to the International Space Station (ISS). During President Dmitry Medvedev’s maiden India visit last year, Moscow and New Delhi inked a space accord, under which Russia will help Isro in training Indian astronauts and provide knowhow for ...

The second ship of the proposed three stealth destroyer ships under the Rs 8,459-crore Project 15-A was launched by Madhulika Verma, wife of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Nirmal Verma, at Mazgaon Docks here on Friday. The 6,500-tonne destroyer ship, which will be named INS Kochi, has been designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design. “Launching the warship is an important milestone in the construction process. Today’s launch has further significance, as this is the first time that a pontoon-assisted launch is being carried out in our country,” Admiral Verma said at the launch ceremony. The ship is a follow-on of the existing indigenously designed ships from the Delhi class guided missile destroyers — INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai. Once launched, the ship will have advanced stealth features that will make it less susceptible to detection by enemy radars.

Soon, very soon, India will add another lethal punch to its growing ‘‘blue-water’’ warfare capabilities by inducting an indigenously-designed and manufactured ‘‘stealth’’ frigate. The 5,300-tonne frigate, INS Shivalik, armed with a deadly mix of foreign and indigenous weapon and sensor systems, is currently undergoing ‘‘advanced’’ pre-commissioning sea trials. Interestingly, apart from Russian Shtil surface-to-air missile systems, Klub anti-ship cruise missiles and other weapons, the multi-role frigate is also armed with the Israeli ‘Barak-I’ anti-missile defence system. Already fitted on 11 frontline warships like aircraft carrier INS Viraat and destroyer INS Mysore, the 10-km range Barak-I can intercept incoming Harpoon and Exocet missiles, launched from platforms like P-3C Orion aircraft and Agosta-90B submarines which Pakistan has acquired from US and France. ‘‘INS Shivalik is the first stealth frigate to be designed and built in India. It’s a matter of great pride for t...

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are set to make a major announcement in the coming days related to as discovery made by one of the payloads onboard the immensely successful Chandrayaan-1 mission. The announcement is expected at a media interaction scheduled for Thursday at NASA headquarters in Washington DC. The interaction will also feature Carle Pieters from Brown who was the principal investigator for NASA's Moon Minerology Mapper (M3) payload onboard the Chandrayaan. Brown University have declined to comment about the nature of the announcement, merely saying that it would ''...be a major announcement of a major discovery...'' and would be ''...something great for Chandrayaan. It will mark a major leap for India's space programme." The Thursday interaction has not been denied by ISRO officials. It is being surmised that the announcement may be related t...

After the loss of the Moon mission Chandrayaan, it was a moment of spectacular success for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The country's trusted space workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), proved its mettle for the 15th consecutive time on Wednesday when it successfully launched the Oceansat-2 spacecraft. Apart from the 960 kg Oceansat, ISRO also launched six other nano satellites -- four from Germany, one from Switzerland and one from Turkey. All satellites have been placed successfully into their prescribed orbits and are meant to help the Indian fishing community. 'It's a fantastic achievement! ISRO has once again done a job precisely," said G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO. The Rs 70 crore rocket launched the seven satellites in just 20 minutes, its 16th consecutive success. The big brother on the mission was the 960-kilogram ocean and weather monitoring satellite. Also piggybacking were six smaller nano satellites from S...

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is well on course to launch the proposed Chandrayaan-II with an orbiter and lander within the next four years, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said here on Wednesday. "Preliminary design has been completed and it is on course. By the end of 2013 or early 2014, we can have the launch, he told reporters here after the successful launch of Oceansat-2 and six nano satellites. "We are going to have an orbiter and lander in Chandrayaan-II so that it will have a soft landing on the surface of the moon" he said. Nair said some instruments that could analyse the moon surface would also be installed in Chandrayaan-II. He said ISRO would use inputs sent from Chandrayaan-I, whose mission was terminated abruptly last month, for a smooth landing. To a question on Chandrayaan-I's performance, he maintained its moon mission had been successful and data sent by the satellite, which worked for 315 days, was "very satisfactory"....

Krishnamurthy, Director of ISRO’s Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre here on Monday. The integration of the satellite, designed to identify potential fishing zones, assists in forecasting marine trends and coastal zone studies will also provide inputs for weather forecasting and climate studies. Krishnamurthy said that all pre-launch tests on the functional aspects of the satellite have been successfully completed. “We are launching a satellite called Oceansat-2 based on the ocean colour and the wind vectors. This scatterometer, which gives us, the wind vectors will provide information on where the fish potential zones are and how these are moving. In a dynamic situation also, the fishermen can get the advisories from the remote sensing information,” he added. Oceansat-2 would blast off on board India’s indigenous workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota located on the Indian east coast. This satellite...

The first batch of the indigenously built T-90 Bhishma tanks was on Monday (August 24) flagged off by Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju at the rolling out ceremony held at the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, in Chennai. The T-90S tank incorporates many new technologies in terms of mobility, protection, fighting capabilities, safety and communication. The tank is equipped with 125mm smooth bore gun stabilised in Elevation and Azimuth, 12.7mm anti-craft machine gun and 7.62mm co-axial machine gun supported with high accuracy sighting systems and Automatic Loader ensuring high rate of fire. A significant feature of this tank is its capability to fire guided missile in addition to conventional ammunition using the same main gun barrel. The integrated fire control system consisting of the gunner’s sight, guided weapon system and ballistic computer facilitates accurate firing of conventional ammunitions as well as the guided missiles. The built in Explosive Reactive Arm...

The Indian Army has received its first homemade unmanned ground vehicle, which will be used for surveillance, and to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and mines. The prototype of the vehicle, which has been developed and handed to the Indian Army for trials, is based on an infantry fighting vehicle, the BMP-II, and has been developed by the state-owned Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment. It is operating under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The prototype consists of a drive-by-wire system, which includes electromechanical actuators and drives for the driver interfaces, such as acceleration, brake, gear shifting, steering, clutch, parking brake, etc., said a DRDO scientist. The signals from the engine are acquired by a data acquisition card and displayed in the graphical user interface. The vehicle would be a precursor to the development of a future unmanned battle tank.

After its success with its first unmanned lunar arbiter, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun preparation for the ambitious Chandrayaan-2, a joint venture with Russia that will have a moon rover supplied by the latter. ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told that the design of the mission was complete and the space organisation would be building the orbital flight vehicle while the '''Lunar Craft' would be supplied by Russia. ISRO would be building the entire spacecraft that would also have other scientific payloads acquired internationally. ''The landing of the rover would be decided after we analyse the data sent by Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Now we are set to build a prototype of Chandrayaan-2 and this would happen next year. We will build upon our success with Chandrayaan-1,'' he said. ISRO had gained lot of positives from the first lunar mission and received valuable inputs on heat radiation on moon's surface. Accordingly the ...

With the US clearing the decks for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch Algerian Satellites with American components, the space agency is planning to put the satellites in orbit by the end of 2009 or early 2010. The clearance given to launch the Algerian satellites ALSAT-2A and ALSAT-2B -- which have US components on board an Indian space launch vehicle -- comes after the signing of the Technical Safe Guards Agreement (TSA) between the US and India during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to the country. “Now that the clearance has been given, we plan to launch the Algerian satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre by the end of the year or early next year if the weather permits,” ISRO spokesperson S Satish. He added that the space agency’s main priority is to launch the Oceansat- 2 in September followed by the GSAT-4 onboard the GSLV in Octobe or November. The TSA gives an opportunity for the launch of foreign built non-commercial sat...

fter the challenging mission to moon, ISRO today said it has begun preparations for sending a spacecraft to Mars within the next six years. Government has sanctioned seed money of Rs 10 crore to carry out various studies on experiments to be conducted, route of the mission and other related details necessary to scale the new frontier, said ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair.  "Already mission studies have been completed.Now we are trying to collect scientific proposals and scientific objectives," he told reporters on the sidelines of a day-long workshop of the Astronautical Society of India here.  He said the space agency was looking at launch opportunities between 2013 and 2015. Chandrayaan-I, the country's maiden unmanned moon mission, appears to have fired the imagination of young scientists who have taken to space sciences and ISRO plans to tap this talent for its mission to Mars. "A lot of young scientists are being brought into the mission, particul...

The common man can now view sharper pictures of any part of the world on their personal computer using satellite images with ISRO today unveiling 'Bhuvan', its version of Google Earth. Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan launched the beta version of the geoportal www.bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in at a day-long workshop of the Astronautical Society of India on "21st Century Challenges in Space -- Indian Context." The new web-based tool allows users to have a closer look at any part of the subcontinent barring sensitive locations such as military and nuclear installations. The degree of resolution showcased is based on points of interest and popularity, but most of the Indian terrain is covered upto at least six meters of resolution with the least spatial resolution being 55 meters, an ISRO official said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a constellation of seven satellites to give a boost to the country's  security apparatus, a top scientist said here Sunday. ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair said the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) was being developed "considering security related issues". Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, Nair said: "The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a ground support segment. Three of the satellites will be placed in the geostationary orbit and four near the geostationary orbit. "Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with the Indian control stations. The satellite payloads will consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigational signals," he said. "The system is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of more than 20 meters throughout...

A top Russian defence official said a new takeoff engine for launching of the missile in air and at extreme high altitudes had been developed. Alexander Leonov, Director of the Russian Machine Building Research and Production Center, said: "we are ready for test launches." Leonov was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency that the initial test firing of the missile would be undertaken from the Sukhoi-30 MKI, but did not specify the exact dates. After testing, the IAF would be launch customers for the air launched BrahMos cruise missile, which will make the Indian Air Force, the only force in Asia to have such a capability. The BrahMos is already inducted in its ship to shore role and land-to-land versions in the Indian Navy and Army. Leonov for the first time disclosed that Moscow and New Delhi were also "very close" to  designing and testing of the submarine launched version of the BrahMos missile. India's indigenous nuclear powered sub...

The recent launch of an indigenously produced nuclear powered submarine once again brought to fore India’s expanding military capabilities and its ambitions to be a global player. Clearly, when the 6,000-ton Arihant along with the other additional two (or four) of its class are commissioned around 2020 it would be a quantum jump in its strategic posture and assets. Acquisition of a nuclear powered submarines forms part of India’s nuclear doctrine that is based on the concept of triad i.e. developing land, air and sea strike capability and adherence to “No First Use” (NFU). Major nuclear powers consider submersible launched nuclear-tipped missiles critical in terms of providing second-strike capability. Submarines are autonomous under water platforms for launching nuclear-tipped missiles and are relatively safe from enemy action as these are practically noiseless and stealth makes it hard to detect by sonar and radar. Thus they are able to achieve both mobility and surprise. And by esca...

India has joined the league of countries like South Africa, China, US and Germany which are trying to develop a high temperature reactor for generating hydrogen on a large scale. Hydrogen can be used as fuel for vehicles, besides other scientific applications in the future. The technology demonstrator reactor would be ready by 2015 and work is currently in progress on the project, Anil Kakodkar, Atomic Energy Commission chairman told reporters here on Sunday. Srikumar Banerjee, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said the reactor would generate hydrogen by splitting water. The reactor's operational efficiency would be very much enhanced. Already efforts are on in countries to develop such a reactor, he said. "The programme is on course. Technology development is on, we are developing the reactor design, materials, material processing capabilities. The actual construction of the reactor will take some time," he said. Kakodkar said India would have ...

The secrecy attached to the development of the indigenous nuclear submarine project is almost legendary. What’s little known is the extent to which the Indian N-establishment went to conceal the research not only from the public but also large sections of the scientific community within the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). For almost nine years, most staff working at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam believed the Plutonium Recycle Project (PRP) in the complex was used only for that purpose, that is recycling plutonium. But with the launch of INS Arihant on July 25, top DAE officials have finally begun to lift the veil and reveal that they were actually building the core (nuclear reactor and propulsion systems) of the submarine as well as the land-based version of the hull of the indigenous vessel, which served as the technology demonstrator of the main vessel, within the PRP unit. For those in the know, even the term ‘PRP’ denoted the N-sub....

Jaisalmer: The Block-II version of the BrahMos land attack cruise missile successfully completed its fourth and final test firing on Wednesday and has now been declared ready for induction. In a test firing at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, the missile went on to score a "bull's eye" hit on a target 25km away on Wednesday. The previous test-firing of the Block-II land attack version took place 29 March 2009. "The missile took off successfully and hit the desired target at Ajasar area range situated 25 km away from launching pad, meeting all mission parameters," defence sources said. The missile had failed its first test firing, leading to a second test in short order which was a success. "With this launch, the requirement of Army for the land attack version with Block-II advanced seeker software with target discriminating capabilities has been fully met and this version is ready for induction," defence sources said. The Block-II versio...

India's technology safeguards agreement signed with US during the recent state visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Delhi will soon yield fruitful results for the space research program of the country. It will enable India to launch smaller satellites for United States at much competitive prices using indigenously developed rockets. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman, Madhavan Nair said, "Space cooperation with the US has been the agenda of the government. The pact will enable US made satellites or with components of US to be launched from India." He said that the space body is already providing satellite launching services to various nations at very economical prices and more countries to avail the service on mutually agreeable terms. Country has been developing heavier rocket GSLV-MKIII that will help to further reduce the cost of sending a satellite to space. Mr. Nair, while launching an indigenous GIS mapping software in Ahmadabad, ...

India Sunday joined a select group of five nations with the launching here of the country's first indigenously designed and built nuclear-powered attack submarine, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described as a 'historic milestone' in the country's defence preparedness. The prime minister's wife Gursharan Kaur did the honours of launching the submarine - INS Arihant - at a function here. Manmohan Singh, speaking at the event, assured that the nuclear submarine was not developed with 'aggressive designs' or to 'threaten anyone', but it was necessary to take all measures to safeguard the country and keep pace with technological advancements in the world. He also congratulated the Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) Programme and the people associated with it for designing and building the nuclear submarine, which he said was a reflection of the 'immense technical expertise' and the strength of the research and development organisations...

The dream of over a quarter of a century will be fulfilled today when Ms Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, breaks the coconut on the hull of India’s first indigenously constructed nuclear- propelled ballistic missile submarine — called a boomer in popular parlance — at a super- secret Naval base in Visakhapatnam. At that moment, the 112- metre long black marine monster, now named Arihant ( destroyer of the enemy), will be pulled out of its lair — a covered dry dock, nearly halfa- kilometre long and 50 metre deep — where it has been conceived and grown. The building, called the Ship Building Centre at INS Virbhau, the Navy’s base in Vizag, is at the very end of the harbour. The Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) have expended a great deal of treasure and sweat to reach this point. A year from now, after harbour and sea trials, the Arihant, with a complement of 23 officers and 72 sailors, will join the naval fleet. What ...