Classification of Missiles as per Launch Mode:

1. Surface-to-Surface Missile

2. Surface-to-Air Missile

3. Surface (Coast)-to-Sea Missile

4. Air-to-Air Missile

5. Air-to-Surface Missile

6. Sea-to-Sea Missile

7. Sea-to-Surface (Coast) Missile

8. Anti-Tank Missile
Cruise Missile: A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled (till the time of impact) guided vehicle that sustains flight
through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path and whose primary mission is to place an ordnance or special
payload on a target. They fly within the earth’s atmosphere and use jet engine technology.

Depending upon the speed such missiles are classified as:

1) Subsonic cruise missile – It flies at a speed lesser than that of sound, It travels at a speed of around 0.8 Mach.
2) Supersonic cruise missile – It travels at a speed of around 2-3 Mach
3) Hypersonic cruise missile – It travels at a speed of more than 5 Mach
Ballistic Missile: A ballistic missile is a missile that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path,
regardless of whether or not it is a weapon-delivery vehicle.

Ballistic missiles are categorised according to their range, maximum distance measured along the
surface of earth's ellipsoid from the point of launch to the point of impact of the last element of their
payload. The missile carry a huge payload.

The carriage of a deadly warhead is justified by the distance the missile travels.
 1958 to 1970

The Push for Self-Reliance India's first missile program began in 1958 - the same year Prime
Minister Nehru approved the construction of a plutonium reprocessing plant at Trombay.
The project was a modest attempt to construct anti-tank guided missiles.

In addition, the missile group examined the development of a liquid fueled sustainer engine - most
likely based on the SA-2 from the Soviet Union. Both projects were undertaken by the DRDO and its
principal missile laboratory, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).
 1958 to 1970

The program emphasized gaining scientific expertise and creating a technological base for eventually building
modern missiles indigenously.

No plans were made in the short-term for the mass production of missile systems. However, the DRDO's technical
and organizational shortcomings, opposition from the armed services, and weak support from politicians and
civilian bureaucrats in the federal government resulted in the failure and ultimate termination of both projects.

India received the French Centaure research rocket in May 1964 and began reproducing it with modifications.
Indian engineers therefore had 20 years of rocket experience, including satellite launches
and recovery, before the country commenced a dedicated missile program in 1985.
 1971 to 1980

Technological Setbacks - Two major programs occupied Indian missile efforts in the 1970s - Project Devil and Project Valiant.

Project Valiant explored the development of a long-range ballistic missile with a range approaching 8,000 km but for technological and
bureaucratic reasons, leading officials in the DRDO were unenthusiastic about the project and cited a crippling shortage of the scientific
and engineering expertise needed to complete such an ambitious project. The project was shelved in 1974.

In 1972, work began on Project Devil, an attempt to "acquire detailed knowledge" of an operational missile by reverse-engineering the
Soviet-designed SA-2 surface-to-air missile (SAM). The project suffered monumental technological and capacity setbacks but fulfilled
the core components of its mission: "two solid-fuel boosters and a three-ton liquid sustainer engine" emerged from the effort, which
would later serve as the platform for the Prithvi missile series. Nevertheless, the project failed to replicate the SA-2, and funding for
the project ended in 1980.
 India's 1974 nuclear test

India began making its first substantive achievements in missile development after Indira Gandhi, a
proponent of nuclear weapons, returned to power in 1980.

In 1982 a committee was formed which studied various options for missile development and a year later,
the committee unveiled the framework for the Integrated Guided Missile Program (IGMDP).
In what could be described as a 'decisive shift' in missile development plans, the missile capability of Indian
armed forces received a major fillip from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
following the launching of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in 1983.
 Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)

IGMDP was conceived by renowned scientist Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to enable India attain self-sufficiency in the field
of missile technology.

Dr. Kalam, the then Director of Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), headed a Missile Study Team
to weigh the feasibility of the programme. The team included members from the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), the Army, Navy and Air Force, and Defence Production. Keeping in mind the
requirements of various types of missiles by the defence forces, the team recommended development of five
missile systems.

The IGMDP finally got the approval from the Government of India on July 26, 1983.
 The ambitious, time-bound project brought together the country’s scientific community, academic institutions, R&D
laboratories, industries and the three Services in giving shape to the strategic, indigenous missile systems. The missiles
developed under the programme were:--

Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Prithvi

Intermediate-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni

Short-range low-level surface-to-air missile Trishul

Third generation anti-tank missile Nag

Medium-range surface-to-air missile Akash

The Agni, which was initially conceived as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a
re-entry vehicle, was later upgraded to a ballistic missile with different ranges.

Dr. Kalam played a major role in the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi
missiles.

After achieving the goal of making India self-reliant in missile technology, DRDO on January 8,
2008, formally announced successful completion of IGMDP.
 The simultaneous development of the Prithvi and Agni missile series emerged from a debate amongst
DRDO officials in the early 1980s about whether to pursue liquid- or solid-fueled missiles.

Solid-fuel proponents argued that the simple design features and easy maintenance of solid-fuel engines
outweighed the limited technological flexibility of liquid-fueled designs.

Prior experience with liquid-fueled motors in the 1970s under Project Devil and Project Valiant eventually
led officials to pursue the liquid-fuel option for the Prithvi series, but they chose to use solid-fuel engines
for the Agni series.
 Prithvi-I provided India with a rudimentary short-range (150 km) option for deploying a limited nuclear
strike capability against Pakistan.

By 1994, two successful flight-tests of the 1,400 km-range Agni-1 missile confirmed India's re-entry vehicle
technology and demonstrated mastery of staging.

The Agni program thus served as the foundation for the design and development of longer-range ballistic
missile systems, while the Prithvi remained the country's lone operational strategic missile.
The latter half of the 1990s and early 2000s were characterized by continued technological development
of the Prithvi and Agni ballistic missiles, and pursuit of more sophisticated missile delivery options.

The DRDO embarked on programs to develop longer-range versions of the Agni: Agni-II (3000 km) and
Agni-III (5000 km), and Prithvi: Prithvi-II (350 km) and Prithvi-III (600 km).

In 2001, India successfully tested its first supersonic cruise missile, called BrahMos which was developed
with Russian collaboration.
 India’s ballistic missile defense got a boost in 2006 when the first tier in India’s ballistic missile defense
system, PAD/Pradyumna was tested.

PAD is designed to neutralize missiles within a range of 300-2000 km up to a speed of Mach 5.0

In 2007, the second tier called the Advanced Air Defense (AAD) was tested.
In 2008, DRDO also began developing a sea-launched ballistic missile, the Sagarika, which was tested from
submersible pontoons.
India and Israel also signed an agreement to jointly develop the Barak-8 surface to air missile (previously
known as LR-SAM and MR-SAM) that is designed to defend against airborne threats such as aircraft,
helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs. Sea- and land-based versions of the system exist. The first
successful test of the sea-based version was conducted in 2010.
In 2012, India for the first time successfully tested the Dhanush missile. It is a variant of the surface-to-
surface Prithvi-3 missile and has been developed for the Indian Navy.

It has a range of 350 km and is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads.

In July 2013, India announced it would begin withdrawing the 17-year-old Prithvi-I and replacing it with
the 150 km solid-fueled, road-mobile Prahar missile, which was first tested in 2011. The Prahar is smaller,
more maneuverable, and faster to launch than the Prithvi-I. It has a maximum payload of 200 kg and is
capable of carrying only conventional or tactical nuclear weapons.
The Agni ballistic missile family has also undergone significant recent improvements in range and sophistication.
Agni-III, with a range of over 3,200 km was inducted into the armed forces in 2011 after a series of successful
tests and user trials.

India also successfully fight tested the Agni-IV, with declared range of 4000 km multiple times since 2011 before
inducting it into the armed forces in 2014.

The long-anticipated Agni-V has also been successfully tested multiple times since 2012. While its tested range of
5000 km falls short of ICBM status, the missile's range can be increased with relatively minor technological
adjustments; experts therefore consider the Agni-5 to be an ICBM. Even with a range of only 5,000 km, the Agni-
V could hit any target in China, including Beijing.
The development of the indigenous Nirbhay long-range cruise missile has been hailed as a hallmark moment in
India's missile development. Nirbhay is a long range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile designed and
developed by DRDO and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.

It is currently under development and undergoing flight trials. As a member of the Missile Technology Control
Regime (MTCR), Russia could not jointly develop any missile beyond the 300 km range with a non-MTCR member.
However, with India’s acceptance into the MTCR in 2016, those restrictions are no longer valid. Consequently,
India and Russia announced that they will develop an extended range version of BrahMos cruise missile.
 Agni-I

Medium-range ballistic missiles

Surface to Surface Missiles
Range – MRBM - 700–1,200 km

Developed by - DRDO

Manufacturer- Bharat Dynamics Limited

 Agni Range

Agni-I – MRBM - 700–1,200 km

Agni-II - MRBM - 2,000–3,500 km

Agni-III – IRBM - 3,000–5,000 km

Agni-IV - IRBM - 3,500–4,000 km

Agni-V - ICBM - 5,000–8,000 km

 Prithvi Missile

Short-range ballistic missiles

Surface to Surface Missiles

Range – Prithvi I - 150 km

Prithvi II – 250 - 350 km

Developed by - DRDO
Manufacturer - Bharat Dynamics Limited

Prithvi was the first missile to be developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development
Program.
 Dhanush Missile

Short-range
Ballistic missile
Naval version of Prithvi missile

Maximum range 350 km

It is a variant of the surface-to-surface or ship-to-ship Prithvi missile, which has been

developed for the Indian Navy
 Trishul Missile

Short-range ballistic missiles

Surface to Air Missiles

Range – It has a range of 12 km and is fitted with a 5.5 kg warhead

Developed by - DRDO
Manufacturer - Bharat Dynamics Limited

Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system has been
developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short-range surface-to-air missile on
land.
 Akash Missile

Medium-range ballistic missiles

Surface to Air Missiles

Range – The Akash New Generation missile system can target aircraft up to 50–60 km away, at
altitudes up to 18,000 m. It has the capability to neutralize aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise
missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles.

Developed by - DRDO
Manufacturer - Bharat Dynamics Limited (Army variant) Bharat Electronics Limited (Air force
variant)
 Nag Missile

Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)

Developed by - DRDO

minimum range - 500 m

maximum range - 4 km
Manufacturer - Bharat Dynamics Limited

helicopter-launched version of Nag, called the Helina

 Nag Missile

Dhruvastra is the helicopter version of 'Nag Helina' with several new features and meant to be fired
from air to destroy enemy bunkers, armoured vehicles and main battle tanks.

It is a third-generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system that has been
mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

SANT or Standoff Anti-tank Guided Missile is a fourth generation upgraded variant of HELINA missile
developed for long distance airborne anti-armour role.
It has an extended range of up to 15 km to 20 km.
 Brahmos Missile

It is a merger of the names of Brahmaputra river and Moskva river (Russia)

These missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace.

BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture company set up by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
 Brahmos Missile

It is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile which can be

launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.

It does not require further guidance after launch.

Initial range was upto 290-km.

However, India's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime
(MTCR) has extended the range of the BrahMos missile to reach
450-600 km and beyond.
 Prahaar & Pranash Missile

DRDO developed 200-km strike range Pranash ballistic missile which would be armed with
conventional warheads

The missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile which was
being developed for tactical missions.
The export variant of Prahar missile is the Pragati surface to surface missile.

Both are surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

 Prahaar & Pranash Missile

DRDO developed 200-km strike range Pranash ballistic missile which would be armed with
conventional warheads

The missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile which was
being developed for tactical missions.
The export variant of Prahar missile is the Pragati surface to surface missile.

Both are surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

 Nirbhay Missile

It is a long range, subsonic cruise missile 0.7 Mach

Designed and developed in India by DRDO

The missile can be launched from multiple platforms just like Brahmos

Range – Around 1000 kms

 K Missile Family

The K family of missiles, named after Indian scientist and former president A. P. J. Abdul
Kalam, is a family of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to
boost its second strike capabilities and thus augment its nuclear deterrence.

K15 or Sagarika - Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)

 K Missile Family

Shaurya Missile

A land variant of the submarine lanunched K-15 Sagarika, The surface-to-surface

medium range Shaurya missile, that can reach speeds of 7.5 Mach and range
upto 750 km
 Astra Missile

Indigenous beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile

Speed upto MACH 4.5

Currently 110 km version of the Astra Mk 1 on board the Indian Air Force Aircraft

Manufactured by - Bharat Dynamics Limited

 Missiles of Pakistan
Ghaznavi
Ghauri
Shaheen
Babur
Ra’ad

Missiles of China
Hong Niao, Yingji, Dong Feng, Ju Lang
Missiles of USA

Hellfire
Harpoon
Titan
Minuteman
Tomahawk
Trident