India To Test 'Secret' Undersea Missile Next Week

India’s longest range secret undersea missile, K-4 is set to be tested earlier next week.

The nuclear capable warhead is planned to be tested from a submerged platform between March 7 and 8. The preparations are in full swing for the scheduled test, Indian Express news daily quoted defense sources as saying Friday.

The Tracking systems are already in place from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) and two naval ships have been taken to the mission area. Another one is likely to be moved to the point of impact to record the terminal events, the news report said.

According to the report, this test would be conducted from a submerged pontoon, replica of a submarine, positioned nearly 30 feet deep in the sea. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has developed the missile, had kept the project secret till its first test in March, 2014.

While the missile’s first test was for a range of 3,000 km, this time the scientists are reportedly trying for its full operational range of 3,500 km. The missile, world’s best in this class, will have to undergo two more developmental trials before being fired from the indigenously developed submarine INS Arihant next year.

A defence scientist said this manoeuvrable missile having a system of interlacing in three dimensions can also cruise at hypersonic speed. This exceptional feature of the weapon system makes it difficult to be tracked easily and destroyed by any anti-ballistic missile defence systems. The missile has a high accuracy of near-zero circular error probable.

The intermediate range submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is about 12 metres tall with a diameter of 1.3 metres. It weighs around 17 tonnes and can carry a warhead weighing upto 2,000 kg. The missile is powered by solid rocket propellant.

India has so far planned three missiles in the K-series. While the 700-km range K-15, renamed as B-05 (launched 10 times) and 3,500-km range K-4 have been developed, the K-5 will have a striking capability of over 5,000 km. All the K-series missiles are faster, lighter and stealthier.