Warheads

Warheads

Different types of warheads have been developed for the missiles under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. In order to defeat diversified ground targets ranging from soft targets like personnel in open to hard targets like, runway, industrial complexes and built up areas, four different types of warheads have been designed and developed for Prithvi missile. The pre-fragmented warhead is designed to neutralise soft targets. The submunition warhead incorporating Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Bomblet is effective against AFVs in the top attack mode besides being effective against personnel up to a distance of about 10 m around the point of burst of each bomblet while the submunition incendiary warhead is effective against inflammable targets. The Runway Denial Penetrating Submunition warhead is designed and developed to neutralise hard targets like runways, administration and industrial complexes and marshalling yards. Prithvi missile, both Army and Air Force versions have been introduced into the Services.

The design of the warheads involved development warheads of new technologies and sophisticated mathematical models {software developed based on extensive basic research carried out to design and predict the performance of warheads under various combat conditions}. Application of in-house developed software and sophisticated CAD tools have led to optimal design of various subsystems of the warheads. The DPIC bomblet, viz., antitank cum-anti-personnel bomblet developed for Prithvi missile, has been made universal in design and is being used for the cargo shells, bombs and rocket systems. The warhead systems designed for Trishul and Akash missiles, are of pre- fragmented type and are meant to defeat aerial targets. Tandem warhead for Nag based on shaped charge technology for use against ERA equipped modern MBT has been developed. The warhead systems designed and developed will enable the Armed Forcesto have totally indigenous strategic weapon systems.

Technologies Developed

• Pre-fragmented warhead technology for Prithvi, Akash and Trishul
• Two-stage ejection system for deployment of Prithvi submunition
• Rocket assisted submunition for missile
• Tandem shaped warhead to defeat futuristic MBTs equipped with add on armour
• Flow forming technology for fabrication of liner
• Technology for impact sensing, centering device, wave shaping of detonation wave
• SASU for the time related release of various safeties for submunition warhead
• Safety arming mechanism of electromechanical electronic type.
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