New Delhi
India Tuesday test-fired an indigenously developed nuclear-capable
submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from an undersea
location off the Andhra Pradesh coast, but it was not immediately
clear if the mission was a success.
"The missile was launched at 12.58 p.m. The missile was seen
emerging from the sea. Beyond that I cannot say anything else till
we have analysed the data that has been gathered," an official
source said of the sixth test of the 700-km range Sagarika missile.
Analysts said this could well mean that while the launch itself was
a success, the mission might not have met the other parameters that
had been laid down.
Since the Indian Navy does not have a submarine capable of firing an
SLBM, the test firing was conducted from an underwater launcher
positioned 50 metres under the sea surface and 8 km off
Visakhapatnam, which is home to the navy's Eastern Fleet.
Powered by a turbojet, the missile can carry a 500-kg payload. It is
8.5 metres long and about a metre in diameter.
Prahlada, chief controller of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) that developed Sagarika, said earlier this month
it was also readying for a "crucial" test of the missile from a
submarine.
"We have asked the navy for a submarine to enable us conduct the
test," Prahlada - who uses one name - told reporters during the
DEFEXPO international defence exposition here Feb 16-19.
However, this could be a while away as Russia is yet to respond to
the Indian Navy's request for loaning an Akula-class submarine
capable of launching SLBMs. The navy's Russian-made Kilo-class
submarines and the German-designed HDW do not have the capability to
fire such missiles.
The success achieved last year with exo-atmospheric (outside the
atmosphere) and endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere)
anti-ballistic missiles, as also with the surface-to-air Akash
missile, had apparently encouraged DRDO scientists to test the
Sagarika again.
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