India is one of the fastest-growing economies and militaries in the world. It boasts a significant arsenal of various types of missiles, including ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-tank guided missiles. However, there has been a lot of debate on whether India possesses cruise missiles.
The Definition of Cruise Missiles
Before delving into whether India has cruise missiles or not, let’s understand what cruise missiles are. A cruise missile is a guided missile that uses an engine to sustain flight after launch while maintaining low altitude and high-speed. They are designed to deliver a high explosive warhead over long distances with high accuracy.
India’s Missile Program
India began its missile program in the late 1980s, and in 1998 it conducted five nuclear tests that sparked an arms race on the Asian subcontinent. Since then, India has developed an impressive range of ballistic and short-range surface-to-air missiles.
Does India Have Cruise Missiles?
Yes, India does have cruise missiles. India’s first operational land-attack cruise missile (LACM), Nirbhay, was successfully tested in March 2013. Nirbhay has a range of more than 1000 km and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
In addition to Nirbhay, India also possesses BrahMos supersonic cruise missile developed jointly with Russia. BrahMos is one of the fastest cruise missiles globally, with a speed of Mach 2.8 to 3.0 (two to three times faster than sound) and a range of around 300 km.
BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile
BrahMos is undoubtedly India’s most potent weapon in its missile arsenal. It is named after two rivers – the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia – symbolizing cooperation between both nations. The missile’s development began in 1998, and it became operational in 2005.
BrahMos has a two-stage propulsion system. The first stage is a solid-fueled rocket booster that takes the missile to supersonic speed, while the second stage is a liquid-fueled ramjet that sustains the missile’s supersonic speed. It can be launched from land, sea, or air platforms and can carry conventional as well as nuclear warheads.
Nirbhay Land-Attack Cruise Missile
Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously developed LACM. It is subsonic and can fly at low altitude to avoid radar detection. Nirbhay uses a turbofan or turbojet engine that allows it to cruise at a speed of around 0.6 Mach (around 740 km/h).
Nirbhay has an advanced inertial navigation system with GPS that ensures high accuracy in hitting Targets. It can carry various types of payloads, including conventional warheads, submunitions, and nuclear warheads.
Conclusion
India’s missile program has come a long way since its inception in the late 1980s. Today, India has an impressive range of missiles capable of hitting Targets with high accuracy at different ranges. BrahMos and Nirbhay are two examples of India’s cruise missiles that serve as potent weapons in its arsenal.
In conclusion, India does have cruise missiles, and they play an essential role in India’s defense strategy by providing long-range strike capabilities with high precision and effectiveness.