Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

16-05-2024

02:52 PM

19 min read

• Background of the IGMDP

• Significance and Benefits

• Missiles Developed under IGMDP

• Way forward

• PYQs

• FAQs

Prelims: General Science

Mains: Science and Technology- Achievements of Indians in science & technology.

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was India's indigenous
comprehensive missile development effort that commenced in the early 1980s. This ambitious
initiative under the Ministry of Defence encompassed concurrently building expertise across multiple
disciplines propulsion, navigation, control, materials etc. culminating in the operational Agni and
Prithvi class surface-to-surface ballistic missiles conferring credible deterrence ability. Initiated in
1983 under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, IGMDP envisaged attaining self-reliance in missile
technologies for national security priorities.

Background of the IGMDP

In the aftermath of the 1962 war with China and the 1965 & 1971 wars with Pakistan, India
recognised the need for self-sufficiency in critical military hardware to support national security
objectives. Missiles which featured prominently in these conflicts were primarily imported so far.

• However, realisation dawned that external dependency on tactical weapons in an uncertain

world where suppliers’ geopolitical equations can rapidly shift is a vulnerability to be
addressed.

• Thus in the late 1970s, a comprehensive Integrated Missile Development Program was
formulated under the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to attain
indigenous capability spanning battlefield rockets to long-range missiles.

• This later evolved into the IGMDP focused specifically on guided missiles.

Evolution of Integrated Missile Development Program

• Structured as a phased campaign, IGMDP progressed through technology development, sub-

system testing, prototype fabrication, rigorous flight trials, production and eventual
induction:

o 1983-84: Developing infrastructure and training scientific talent.

 o 1984-89: Prithvi and Trishul missile advances.

o 1989-92: Mastering Nag anti-tank and Akash SAM missiles.

o 1992- 2008: Mature Agni ballistic missiles proving program success.

• The indigenised outputs enabled India to gatecrash the exclusive club of missile-possessing
states - an indicator of technological proficiency conversion into strategic deterrence.

• The IGMDP program also delivered seminal spin-offs like the Long-Range Tracking System,
advanced composite materials, high-accuracy ring laser gyros and radomes.

• It laid the foundations for the Integrated Missile Development Center, Defense Technology
Center and the Advanced Center for Energetic Materials.

• 2008: After achieving the goal of making India self-reliant (Atma Nirbharta) the DRDO
discontinued this program.

Objectives of the IGMDP

The IGMDP set ambitious objectives targeted at developing complete competence in guided missiles
natively covering:

• Principal Technologies: The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme established

research facilities and hands-on mastery over dozens of technologies needed - propellants,
aerodynamics, navigation, control systems etc.

• Production Infrastructure: This Program set up dedicated assembly lines and facilities so
developed missiles can be manufactured in numbers efficiently.

• Deployment Capabilities: This Program enables the transition of successfully developed

missile systems into the armed services through extensive field trials validation and induction
into units.

Significance of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), initiated in 1983, played a pivotal role
in consolidating indigenous expertise and operational capabilities in missile technologies:

• Indigenous development: By promoting research and development across surface-to-air,

surface-to-surface and other missile categories,

o IGMDP enabled India to attain strategic autonomy rather than relying on imports.

• Cutting-edge platform: IGMDP provided a specialised platform for Indian scientists to gain
proficiency by working on critical technologies like propellants, aerodynamics, navigation,
guidance and stage separation.

• Strategic Deterrence: Successful missile development under IGMDP led to the creation of a
deterrent force.

o Agni missile series, Prithvi missiles, BrahMos and Akash SAMs are now integral to
national security management.

• Technological Spin-offs: IGMDP projects facilitated positive cascading effects, with missile
infrastructure later adapted for civilian space and automotive advancements.
 • International recognition: Bulk manufacturing, testing processes and infrastructure built via
IGMDP also nurtured a formidable defence-industrial base, aligning with 'Make in India'
goals.

Missiles Developed under IGMDP

Various ranges of missile systems developed under these projects are Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, Nag, and
Agni.

Prithvi

It is a short-range surface-to-surface missile with varying range and payload capacity. Following are
the different variants of the Prithvi missile.

• Dhanush is the naval variant of the Prithvi III missile, which can carry up to 500 kg-1000 kg
for a strike range of 350 km. The submarine version is named Sagarika.

Variants Range Payload Fuel Warheads Status

150 Single-stage liquid-

Prithvi-I 1,000kg Nuclear, high-explosive Inducted
km fueled

350 Single-stage liquid- Nuclear or

Prithvi II 350 kg to 750kg Inducted
km fueled Conventional

1,000 kg for 350 km 1st stage is Solid-

& fueled
Prithvi 750 Nuclear or
Inducted
III km 500kg for (650km) 2nd stage- liquid- Conventional

250 kg for 750 km fueled.

Trishul

• The system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and short-range
surface-to-air missiles on land.

• It is a short-range, low-level, surface-to-air missile.

• It is capable of a strike range of 12 km.

• It is capable of carrying a load of 5.5 kg.

• India officially shut down this programme on 27 Feb 2008.

Aakash Missile
 • Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile.

• It is capable of intercepting up to the range of 30 km.

• It can fly with supersonic speed- Mach 2.5.

• It has a launch weight of 720 kg.

• It can reach an altitude of 18km.

Nag

• It is the3rd generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile.

• It has been developed to strike and neutralise enemy tanks under the range of 500 meters to
4000 meters.

• The missile is launched from the NAG missile carrier(NAMICA) which is capable of carrying
up to six combat missiles.

o Nag missile carrier is a BMP-II-based system with amphibious capability.

• The missile uses an 8 kg high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) tandem warhead capable of night
strike capabilities as it uses an Imaging Infra-Red guidance system.

• It can be mounted on an infantry vehicle; a helicopter-launched version will also be available

with integration work being carried out with the HAL Dhruv.

o The helicopter-launched version of Nag is known as Helina.

Agni

Agni series of missiles are surface-to-surface ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear as well as
conventional payloads. There are currently six operational missiles of which Agni-1 to Agni-3 were
completed during the programme and the rest of the Agni missiles have been developed through
independent projects.

Variants Range Payload Fuel Warhead Status

Conventional
700 km- 1200 750kg to
Agni I Single-stage solid propellant & Inducted
km 1000kg of
Nuclear

Agni-P Conventional
1,000 - 2,000 Two stages of solid
(Agni-1 1000kg & In trial
km propellant
Prime) Nuclear
 Conventional
Two-and-a-half-stage solid
Agni II 2500 km 1000kg & Inducted
propellant
Nuclear

Conventional
1500 kg to
Agni III 3,500 km Two-stage solid propellant & Inducted
2500 kg
Nuclear

Way Forward

To consolidate leadership in the revolutionary field of guided weapon systems, ongoing efforts target
frontier technology areas:

• Maneuverable Reentry Vehicles (MaRVs): Enhanced precision and penetration aids to

defeat anti-missile systems through radical trajectory shaping possible via progress jet vanes,
atmospheric friction and modelling.

• Decoys and Jammers: Sophisticated countermeasures including flares, chaff, jamming

warheads and receiver saturation methods to overwhelm increasingly complex anti-missile
interceptors through multi-spectral signature manipulation.

• Scramjet Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: Wings integrated scramjet ramjet-rocket combined

cycle propulsion promising sustained Mach 6-8 attack flight profiles matching ballistic
missiles in range with the advantage of level flight offering persistent ISR and flexible
manoeuvre.

• Longer Range Agni Variants: Boosted operational readiness through canisterised storage,
heavier MIRV payloads, networking and regular testing of road-mobile over 5000 km IRBMs
continuing technology upgradation.

Video - The Defenders: India's indigenous missile programme | 26 March, 2022

PYQs on Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

Question 1. With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct?
(UPSC Prelim- 2014)

1. It is a surface-to-surface missile.

2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only.

3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)

FAQs on IGMDP

What are the five major projects of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme?

There are five missiles developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme; this
project is by Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Trishul, and Nag.

What was the aim of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme?

The principal aim of IGMDP was to develop a family of strategic and tactical guided missiles based on
local design and development for three defence services.

Which Missile was developed as an Anti-Tank Tactic Missile?

Nag, a third-generation anti-tank missile developed as a tactic purpose to destroy enemy tanks.