Agni & Prithvi Ballistic Missiles : News & Discussions

[RationalGuy]

They have the warheads mated and launchers stowed in hardened shelters, they roll out, fire the missiles, and get back in.

This has been the primary driver (for India) of first creating a second strike capability, second - a rapid counterforce capability (Agni-P) once missile launches are detected

Hopefully they have figured out a way to have good comms with the Arihant subs, so that they can launch the K4s ASAP once launches are detected. Early warning rn is dependent on radar, we need to have IR sats to detect launch plooms.

 

[Choice_of _inevitability]

GISAT like system with dedicated staring arrays, one looking towards Pakistan and another towards China. With three such satellites, India can have a rudimentary missile launch detection system. They can add EOIR satellites in LEO (ISRO has tested one) for finer detection and tracking capability.
As for communication, they have 2(+1) VLF/ELF sites, and more recently there has been significant progress involving free space laser communication though not sure if SSBNs would get those

 

[Kimjongun]

Video quality is bad but a good capture of the August 20 test, it shows the 2 different stage burns

By bench-marking with other better quality videos from above and the very recent Trident 2/3 launch just a few days ago, some observation can be done. There is no more quality gap between the existing western systems & Indian one like before.

2nd stage ignition & later the visible plume trail show likely use of composite solid propellant rich with Al as high energetic particle infusion hence the clear bright white burn. The same can be seen in the experimental test of 2022 & the full composite body K4 launch video, bright white flame due to high content of aluminum particle in the HTPB+AP+Al composition, almost 20%. We have already developed the HTPB-AP-AL composite propellant & the Nitrate ester NEPE based composite propellant , its casting, production & insulation bond compatible material that work with both
these propellant as the patents suggest. Currently the ageing test storage life determination work is ongoing for this new gen CP.

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Since for land launched version not much weight constraint is there compared to SLBM version , the higher specific impulse based propellant is used in the upper stages for the land based system while the SLBM version can use the CRMC (composite motor casing) compatible solid composite propellant in both stages to reduce dimension. This is why the MIRV version look so compact & yet deliver much higher payload to a larger distance which is mandatory for the purpose, more than double the throw weight of the original A5 1.5 ton payload capacity. Considering the defence sat launcher also use the same MIRV bus of A5 for satellite launch mission it needs to have significant load pulling capacity.

Now up to the powers that be to develop very long range systems & declare it so. CAS got rocket motor test facility of 400ton thrust , the huge rocket ISRO makes one of the engines produce 240tons of thrust. So maybe in future after 2.5m dia motor is proven they can go on with a higher dia more powerful crmc that could generate 80-100kn level of thrust , suitable for FOBS like mission.

Are the pictures from a book or a Patent? If so , can you provide the link or name of it ?
If its in the opensource/Not secret , Would love to read it .

Also has there been any study by ASL,HEMRL or ACEM on increasing the shelf life of SRMs ? The use of antioxidants and effects of transportation on these motors and how do you keep them in climate control enviroments? .
Even if there are no studies by them or just not in publc , that's fine. I just want to read about these things in general, but I cant seem to find anything good . recommendations would be good .