Successful test of new version of ballistic missile

Recently, India successfully launched a new version of its medium-range ballistic missile.

Main point

• The missile launch was carried out under the auspices of the Strategic Force Command.
• The missile was tested from Abdul Kalam Island, a coastal launch base in Odisha.
• Earlier on 18 April 2024, DRDO had successfully flight tested the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM).
• The flight of the missile was monitored from Sukhoi-30-MK-I aircraft of the Indian Air Force

About ballistic missile

• Ballistic missile is a missile whose launch path is sub-orbital ballistic path.
• It is used to fire a weapon (usually a nuclear weapon) at a predetermined target.
• Ballistic missiles are initially propelled by rockets but then follow an unpowered, free-falling trajectory toward their target.
• They are classified based on the maximum distance they can travel, which depends on how powerful the missile’s engines (rockets) are and the weight of the missile’s payload.
• To add more range to a missile, rockets are placed on top of each other in a configuration called staging.

History

• The first ballistic missile was the A-4, also commonly known as the V-2 rocket. This missile was developed by Nazi Germany between 1930 and 1940 under the supervision of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun.
• The first successful test of the V-2 rocket took place on 3 October 1942, it was used against France on 6 September 1944 and against London two days later.
• By the end of World War II (May 1945), the V-2 rocket missile had been used more than 3,000 times.
• The general classifications of ballistic missiles are:
  • short-range ballistic missiles, traveling less than 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles);
  • medium-range ballistic missiles; traveling between 1,000–3,000 kilometers (about 620–1,860 miles);
  • intermediate-range ballistic missiles, traveling between 3,000–5,500 kilometers (about 1,860–3,410 miles);
  • Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), with a range of more than 5,500 kilometers.
• Short- and medium-range ballistic missiles are referred to as theater ballistic missiles, while ICBMs or long-range ballistic missiles are described as strategic ballistic missiles.

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