Trishul all set for final test flights

A series of flight trials of the indigenous short-range quick-reaction surface-to-air missile Trishul will commence shortly, official sources said in New Delhi on Friday, March 28.

Being billed as India's answer to the US Patriots, which made mincemeat of Iraqi Scuds during the 1991 Gulf War, Trishul will enter the user-trial phase in the second half of the current year.

After successful completion of the user-trial, the missile will enter a production and induction schedule, sources said.

The missile was flight tested on December 28 last year. The sources disclosed that during the developmental flight test of Trishul on December 28, after a successful takeoff ''some deviations were observed''.

However, the main objective of evaluating the ''command guidance'' during initial flight was gone through successfully as per mission requirements, the sources said.

The missile, which will be used by the army, the navy and the air force, is driven by solid fuel and becomes operative at an altitude of 500 metres.

It is understood to have a maximum range of 9 km, and is designed to carry a 15 kg warhead.

The December 28 test of the multi-role Trishul was described as a ''command-guidance flight''.

The development of Trishul is part of the prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The other missiles under the IGMDP are Prithvi, Akash, Nag and Agni.

Successful flight trials of the missile, using three-beam guidance systems have already been proved. It is specially designed to counter a low-level attack within a quick reaction time and has an all-weather capability.

So far, 26 development flight trials of the missile have been conducted. It has also been flight tested twice in sea-skimming role and against many targets.

UNI