K-4 is a nuclear capable
Intermediate-range submarine-launched ballistic missile
A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead ...
developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...
of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to arm the
Arihant-class submarine
The ''Arihant''-class ( in Sanskrit) is a class of Indian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines being built for the Indian Navy. They were developed under the ''Advanced Technology Vessel'' (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-pow ...
s. The missile has a maximum range of about 3,500 km.
Development
The development of the K-4 was undertaken after facing significant difficulties in compacting similarly capable
Agni-III
The Agni-III (IAST: Agni, ) is an Indian intermediate-range ballistic missile inducted into service in 2011 as the successor of the Agni-II. It has a range of and can reach targets deep inside neighbouring countries including China.
Introduct ...
to equip
INS Arihant
INS ''Arihant'' (SSBN 80) (Sanskrit: ''Vanquisher of Enemies''), designated S2 Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine, is the lead ship of India's of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The 6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advance ...
which has a limited diameter hull. K-4 has range comparable to Agni-III with major length reduction from to . The gas-booster designed for K-4 was successfully tested from a submerged pontoon in 2010.
Agencies responsible
The
High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) and the Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials (ACEM) of the
DRDO
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...
have been involved in developing the three motors responsible for propelling the K-4, the systems responsible for separating the stages of K-4, the low-thrust boosters, the gas generator and other components. The launch system of K-4 has been developed by the Naval Systems Group of the
Research and Development Establishment (Engineers).
Description
The K-4 is a
submarine-launched ballistic missile
A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead ...
which is composed of two stages.
The missile is reported to be long with a diameter of and weighs nearly . It can carry a warhead weighing up to and is powered
solid rocket propellant
Rocket propellant is the reaction mass of a rocket. This reaction mass is ejected at the highest achievable velocity from a rocket engine to produce thrust. The energy required can either come from the propellants themselves, as with a chemical ...
. The DRDO stated that the aim of the missile was to achieve a high accuracy.
As a countermeasure against
ballistic missile defence
An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (missile defense). Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight traject ...
systems, the K4 can perform three-dimensional maneuvers.
Testing
The developmental testing of K-4 started in January 2010, when the missile successfully ejected from a pontoon submerged 50 metres below the surface of water and breached the surface. The missile was originally scheduled to be initially tested in September 2013 from a
pontoon submerged 50 feet underwater, but the test was delayed due to unspecified issues.
In the event, the first test was carried out on 24 March 2014 from a depth of 30 metres. The test was successful and the missile was tested to a range of 3,000 km. The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 metres deep in the sea off the
Visakhapatnam
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
coast. After a powerful gas generator ejected it from the pontoon submerged in the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
, the K-4 missile rose into the air, took a turn towards the designated target, sped across 3,000 km in the sky and dropped into the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
.
It is reported that on 7 March 2016
the K-4 was successfully tested from a submerged platform in the Bay of Bengal.
In April 2016, it was reported that the missile was successfully tested on 31 March 2016 from
INS Arihant
INS ''Arihant'' (SSBN 80) (Sanskrit: ''Vanquisher of Enemies''), designated S2 Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine, is the lead ship of India's of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The 6,000 tonne vessel was built under the Advance ...
, 45 nautical miles away from Vishakhapatnam coast in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. The missile with a dummy payload was launched from the submarine in full operational configuration. The trial was carried out with the support of the personnel of
Strategic Forces Command
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weap ...
(SFC) and the DRDO provided all the logistics. The missile was fired from 20-metre deep and covered more than 700 km before zeroing on the target with high accuracy reaching close to zero error.
On 17 December 2017, an attempt to launch K-4 missile ended in a failure.
The failure was attributed to a discharged battery.
A test of the K-4 was planned in October 2019 but got postponed.
A test of the K-4 missile was expected to be held on 8 November 2019,
but got postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions caused by the
cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...
Bulbul.
A test of the missile was expected to be conducted in December 2019.
On 19 January 2020, K-4 was successfully tested from a submerged platform located in the coastal waters of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. This test was undertaken in full operational configuration during which the missile traversed a distance of over 3,500
km in approximately 21 minutes, achieving a near-zero
circular error probability
In the military science of ballistics, circular error probable (CEP) (also circular error probability or circle of equal probability) is a measure of a weapon system's precision. It is defined as the radius of a circle, centered on the mean, wh ...
.
Another test was successfully carried out on 24 January 2020. This was the final developmental test of K-4 and the missile was ready to enter serial production.
See also
*
K Missile family
The K family of missiles (K for 'Kalam'), is a family of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to boost its second strike abilities and thus augment its nuclear deterrence. Information about this family of missiles ha ...
*
Arihant class submarine
The ''Arihant''-class ( in Sanskrit) is a class of Indian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines being built for the Indian Navy. They were developed under the ''Advanced Technology Vessel'' (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-pow ...
*
Sagarika (missile)
Sagarika (pronounced: sɑːgərikɑː), also known by the code names K-15 or B-05, is an Indian submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with a range of that was designed for retaliatory nuclear strikes. It belongs to the K Missile family ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:K-4 (SLBM)
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Ballistic missiles of India