MTCR delays India's missile programme

India's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme has been delayed and the tightening of the Missile Technology Control Regime is partly responsible for it, admits a government report.

Change in the users's requirements, additional time taken in development of state-of-the-art technologies, and indigenisation of critical components and sub-systems have been identified as other important reasons for the delay in the completion of the IGDMP by the defence ministry's annual report.

In order to ensure that the remaining three of the five systems under the IGMDP -- the Akash, Nag and the Trishul-- are developed in the shortest possible time, the existing linkages with national science and technology resource have been strengthened further and the projects are being closely monitored for timely problem-solving, the report says.

Official sources, however, clarified that but for some delay the IGMDP was not adversely affected by the MTCR. Restrictions were anticipated even at the time of sanctioning the programme in 1983 and steps taken to offset the effects.

The sources explained that action was taken to design sub-systems based on maximum indigenous items. Following the imposition of MTCR in 1987, multiple task teams started developing and fabricating critical components and required facilities were set up where essential.

''On the whole, the challenge of MTCR has provided a good opportunity for promoting self-reliance and quality,'' the sources said.

Giving a summary of the progress made with regard to IGMDP in 1996-97, the annual report said the first flight trial of the 250-km range version of the Prithvi surface-to-surface missile for Air Force was conducted successfully. Activities subsequent to the successful completion of user trial phase are in progress in respect of 150-km range Prithvi for the army.

The report said one development flight trial of the medium range surface-to-air missile Akash had been successfully carried out during the year. Desert trials of the Akash self-propelled launcher had also been successfully completed.

The report said three flight trials of the third generation anti-tank missile Nag were conducted. Outdoor trials of the MM wave seeker had been carried out. Twin launcher for the advanced light helicopter's Nag system had been realised. The design of the single launcher for the Cheetah helicopter's Nag system had been finalised.

The report also said one development flight trial of quick reaction short range missile Trishul had been undertaken during the year against moving line of sight.

The official position regarding the fifth system under the IGMDP -- the Agni -- is that it is a re-entry technology demonstration project, which has been successfully completed and all the objectives met. The Agni project did not envisage development of a missile system. The decision to develop and produce a missile system based on Agni technologies, however, can be taken at an appropriate time consistent with the then prevailing threat perception and global or regional security environment.

According to defence sources an amount of Rs 2.27 billion has been spent on the IGMDP during the last five years.

The sources said the aim and objective of the IGMDP is to design, develop and finally produce four missile systems and to demonstrate the re-entry technology through the fifth -- the Agni project.

The original cost of the programme as sanctioned in July 1983 was Rs 3.88 billion which was revised to Rs 7.84 billion. It also has a foreign exchange component of Rs 2.91 billion.

At least 78 laboratories and public and private institutions are associated with the design and development of the five missile systems.

Prithvi is designed for tactical application in the battlefield. It is fully mobile and mounted on a vehicle. It carries a conventional warhead. The missile entered the users's trial phase in March 1994.

Trishul is designed to counter a low-level attack with a very quick reaction time and has an all-weather capability. The missile has also been flight tested twice in sea-skimming role and against moving targets.

Akash has a multi-target handling capability. It employs command guidance system. There also is a provision for terminal guidance. Akash self-propelled launcher and phased array radar have also been developed.

Nag is a third generation anti-tank missile, having an all-weather capability. It is capable of defeating futuristic armour. It uses imaging infra-red guidance having a day and night capability.

UNI