K-6 (missile)
| K-6 | |
|---|---|
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | India |
| Service history | |
| In service | Under development |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Advanced Systems Laboratory (DRDO) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | >12 m (39 ft) |
| Diameter | >2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Warhead | 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) MIRVed nuclear/conventional weapon |
| Engine | Solid-fuelled |
Operational range | 8,000 km (5,000 mi) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 7 – Mach 7.5 (8,600–9,190 km/h; 5,300–5,710 mph; 2.4–2.55 km/s)[1][2] |
Launch platform | S5-class submarine |
K-6 is an intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. The missile has a planned range of more than 8000 Kilometres.[3]
Requirement
[edit]Admiral Arun Prakash wrote in 2018 that the missile range of the Arihant-class submarines is not sufficient to target potential adversaries of India; a missile with a range of around 6,000-8,000 kilometres[4] would be required for this task to be performed by a submarine patrolling in a "safe haven".[5]
When the missile payload limitations of the Arihant-class were realised, India began developing the S5-class of submarines and the K-6 ballistic missiles.[6] The developmental work for these missiles started in February 2017 at the Advanced Systems Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with a completion target of less than ten years.[6]
Description
[edit]The K-6 is an intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile.[7][8] It is a three-stage missile and is solid fuelled. It is planned to armed with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles and will have a range of around 8,000 to 12,000 kilometres with a three-tonne payload. It has a planned length of over 12 metres and a diameter of over 2 metres.[6] It will be able carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.[9]
Development
[edit]The K-6 is being developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory of (DRDO) since 2017.[6] Testing of the K-5 missile will assist in developing the K-6.[10]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "K-6 Hypersonic Missile: India's Stealthy, Supersonic Strike Power for the High Seas". Goemkarponn. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "K-6 Hypersonic Missile: A Faster, Deadlier, Stealthier Superweapon For The Indian Navy". news18. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "पूरा एशिया क्या यूरोप-अफ्रीका तक वार कर सकेगी इंडियन नेवी, DRDO चुपचाप तैयार कर रहा है ये बैलिस्टिक मिसाइल". zee-hindustan news. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Agni VI, ISRO and Radio Silence on India's 10,000 KM Range ICBM". 17 November 2022.
- ^ Prakash, Arun (7 November 2018). "The significance of Arihant". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d Unnithan, Sandeep (10 December 2017). "A peek into India's top secret and costliest defence project, nuclear submarines". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ "Nuclear submarine INS Arihant completes patrol, country's N-triad operational". The Times of India. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (13 December 2017). "India Launches Second Ballistic Missile Sub". The Diplomat. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ "K-6 Hypersonic Missile: A Faster, Deadlier, Stealthier Superweapon For The Indian Navy". news18. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "DRDO on long range Pralay, K5 to stalemate China soon". The New Indian Express. 15 December 2018. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.