 "The M1 Interceptor missile, which has a range of 150 kilometers, would work at a short-range. It will be followed by the M2, which has a range of 250 kilometers and the M3, which will have the longest range at 350 kilometres. Image courtesy: @VinodDX9")
Is India getting its own version of the Iron Dome? India is set to begin testing missiles for its indigenous Project Kusha next year.
Project Kusha is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’ (MSC), the launch of which he had announced in his Independence Day speech.
“I am saying today from the ramparts of the Red Fort that in the coming 10 years, by 2035, all the important places of the nation, which include strategic as well as civilian areas, like hospitals, railways, any centre of faith, will be given complete security cover through new platforms of technology. This security shield should keep expanding, every citizen of the country should feel safe,” Modi had said.
Modi said the programme would “expand, strengthen, and modernise” India’s national security shield by 2035.
The development comes in the aftermath of India launching Operation Sindoor in May in response to the Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-backed Islamist groups.
But what do we know about project Kusha?
What is Project Kusha?
Project Kusha is a top secret indigenous program . It is aimed at developing a long-range, multi-layered air defence system that can repel drones, aircraft, and missiles.
It is also alternatively known as the Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS) or Precision-Guided Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (PGLRSAM). It is India’s version of Israel’s Iron Dome or the Russian S-400 system. The US is developing its own Golden Dome system, which will cost at least $500 billion over the next 20 years.
The program is being spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which falls under the Ministry of Defence.
State defence firm Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which is developing radars and other battle platforms, is a key partner of the DRDO in the program.
“We are the development partner with DRDO and are developing jointly so many subsystems of Kusha, mainly different types of radars and control systems,” BEL chairman and Managing Director Manoj Jain has said.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved Project Kusha in May 2022 at a cost of Rs 21,700 crore.
India will next year begin testing new interceptor missiles for the indigenous air and missile defence shield under Project Kusha.
How will it work?
Kusha comprises three components – a state-of-the-art radar to spot incoming threats, a command and control system and interceptor missiles.
Kusha will be relying on the Long Range Battle Management Radar (LRBMR), an S-band radar with a detection range of over 500 kilometres that can spot aircraft, drones, precision-guided munitions, and ballistic missiles.
The M1 Interceptor missile, which has a range of 150 kilometers, would work at a short-range. It will be a compact 250 mm diameter kill vehicle armed with a dual-pulse solid rocket motor and thrust vector control. This will allow it to be both highly manoeuvrability and precise.
This will be followed by the M2, which has a range of 250 kilometers.
The M2 Interceptor Missile, which will comprise the M1’s 250 mm kill vehicle, will intercept targets at a medium range including anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs). It which will be tested in 2027.
The M3 Interceptor Missile will have the longest range at 350 kilometres. It is designed to intercept big aircraft and even short- and medium-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs and IRBMs).
It will be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array seekers, onfrared and radio frequency guidance to improve its accuracy.
It may feature a larger 450 mm diameter kill vehicle in order to attain its extended range and enhanced lethality. The M3 will be tested in 2028.
These interceptors boast an impressive single-shot kill probability of 85 per cent. When two missiles are launched five seconds apart – in salvo mode – that increases to 98.5 per cent.
The missiles will likely use hit-to-kill (HTK) technology, which uses kinetic energy rather than explosive warheads. This makes it similar to the US THAAD or SM-3.
The missiles will be equipped with dual-seeker technology, which merges radar and infrared guidance, to increase their ability to track and destroy low-radar-signature targets such as stealth aircraft and cruise missiles.
The DRDO chief has said that these missiles will be able to intercept Mach 7 anti-ship ballistic missiles at an 80 to 90 per cent interception success rate.
The idea is to fully develop all three missiles by 2028 – which will allow them to be inducted in the project Kusha by 2030.
The entire system would integrates seamlessly into India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) – which allows India to add another layer of air defence in its skies.
India currently uses the Akash Air defence system, SPYDER air defence system, Barak-8 MK-SAM, Igla-S, 9K33 Osa AK, 2K12 Kub and QRSAM.
What do experts say?
Experts say this could be a sea change for India’s defences and a critical leap forward when it comes to self-reliance as it reduces India’s dependence on Russia’s S-400 system.
The scheme also ties into Modi’s Make in India and ‘Atmannirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
“This is a very important development. Modi basically synergised our internal security and external security problems, issues or threats, whatever you call it,” defence expert Rajiv Nayan said . “Sudarshan Chakra has both defensive and offensive roles, but he spoke about its defensive role, explaining that once even the Sun was covered by this Sudarshan Chakra, meaning Krishna was essentially protecting the surroundings, and thereby an operation can be launched”.
Others are a little more circumspect.
“Many of the building blocks for the MSC defence shield have either been developed or are being developed. The real challenge will be to integrate them all. It will cost a lot of money for a large country like India,” a source told the Times of India.
With inputs from agencies