India successfully killed live satellite in leo.
Operation Shakti..
Operation Shakti..
Missile Test Watch
- Thread starter kurup
- Start date
All spy satellites orbit in LEO, only communication satellites orbit in geostationary orbit.
There was one ..... I thought it was a 2000km range BM test ..... If I knew about the significance , I would have tweeted it yesterday itself .
There may be 3 reasons.
1. Maybe units operating the 1st block of Brahmos are now being re equipped by the contemporary production variant and those units are testing it out.
2. SLCM variant of Brahmos. Now that Navy does want a SLCM from its upcoming P75I, its time that the developers complete and verify its sub surface launch capabilities fully.
3. ALCM variant, recently tested, it may be another ALCM test in Anti Ship mode. The last one was against a land based target.
NOTAM issued (23-25 Oct 0630-1030 UTC or 12:00-4:00 PM IST) :
Plotted on a map :
Any idea what this could be ? The danger zone is in the middle of the ocean, so sea-bourne weapon ? Maybe Nirbhay or Brahmos or some other sea-skimmer.
Plotted on a map :
Any idea what this could be ? The danger zone is in the middle of the ocean, so sea-bourne weapon ? Maybe Nirbhay or Brahmos or some other sea-skimmer.
We haven't tested full range in low profile flight., indigenous engine..
Even though we claimed development trial is over, only pending to customize as per force needs..
We won't do trial so fast in place other than costal area.
What is the maximum target distance from edge to edge? Seems to me either ship borne missile test, anti ship missle? What's the range, that might throw some options to look at.
Correct me if I am wrong.
As far as I know, a NOTAM danger area is only issued when there is an experimental flight scheduled to fly at a certain range of height(i.e. the range of height at which most commercial planes fly). If the flight is meant to be flying lower or higher, its not designated a danger zone. For example, the pic below marks the danger zone and the probable flight path of an Agni 5 missile. Notice how a significant part of the flight path isn't marked in the danger zone, that's because the missile will be outside the commercial flying height then. Keep in mind this was meant to be a depressed altitude flight, not a fully ballistic filght(hence the reduced range of 3000 km only).
The point I am trying to make with this photo is that it is possible to have experimental flight of weapons without issuing a NOTAM danger zone, as long as you are flying low or high enough.
But the common thing across all our missile test is that the Abdul Kalam Island is always marked as a danger zone, that's where the flight originates from. Here that's not the case. If you look at the NOTAM issued the danger zone resembles the splash area danger zone of a ballistic missile test. But where is the origin ? Its possible that a missile is fired off from land/sea and it flies low then attains a height at the kill phase, but that makes no sense. Why would any weapon want to do that ? Its also possible that the missile is fired off from sea, it attains a height and eventually it drops to a much lower altitude(Nirbhay/Brahmos does that) or maybe just loiters with in the danger zone(Nirbhay can do that too).
That's why I think its a Nirbhay.
But you are right that Nirbhay has a raft of hurdles to overcome. Let's wait and find out.
Each edge is well over 200 km. For the above stated reasons I too believe its an AShM.
It could also be SSBN borne missile testing or even the new SSKs tests? As of now it's pretty unusual to issue a NOTAM like this. Anybody has seen similar kind of NOTAM earlier?