India's K-15 Subsurface Launched Missile Test
India on Sunday successfully test-fired the underwater ballistic
missile, K-15 (code-named B05), off the Visakhapatnam coast, marking en
end to a series of developmental trials.
In its twelfth flight
trial, the 10-metre tall Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)
lifted off from a pontoon, rose to an altitude of 20 km and reached a distance of about 700 km as it splashed down in the waters of the Bay of Bengal near the pre-designated target point.
According to scientific advisor to the Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat,
the missile was tested for its full range of 700 km and the mission met
all its objectives. He said the impact accuracy of the medium range
strategic missile was in single digit.
With the completion of
developmental trials, the process of integrating K-15 missile with INS
Arihant, the indigenously-built nuclear submarine, will begin soon. As
many as 12 nuclear-tipped missiles, each weighing six tonnes will be
integrated with Arihant, which will be powered by an 80 MWt (thermal)
reactor that uses enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant
and moderator.
India is only the fifth country to have such a missile -- the other four are the United States, Russia, France and China.
Meanwhile the reactor has been integrated with the submarine and it was
expected to go critical in May/ June 2013. Once that was done, the
harbour trials will begin.
Besides Arihant, three other
nuclear-powered submarines were being constructed -- one at
Visakhapatnam and two at Vadodara. India is also developing K-4 missile
with a range of 3,000 km.
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