India successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) of its most ambitious ‘K’ series from an underwater platform off the Visakhapatnam coast. The 750-km range missile, codenamed B-05, was reportedly launched from a submerged pontoon in full operational configuration on Monday.
The user associate launch was conducted by the defence personnel in association with the Indian Navy.
Defence sources said the pontoon was positioned inside the sea, about 8-km from Visakhapatnam coastline and the missile was fired from 20-metre deep.
Developed by the DRDO, B-05 is about 10 metres in length and about one metre in diameter. It has a launch weight of about 10 tonnes and uses solid propellant. It could carry a conventional payload of about 500 kg and could also be fitted with tactical nuclear warhead.
This is said to be the second user associate launch of the missile. Launched underwater, it surges to the surface and is the world’s best weapon in this class. The DRDO has begun its production and after induction, the missile would equip the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant.“This missile has got both the versions SLBM and SLCM (submarine-launched cruise missile). While cruise missile is a loose trajectory missile guided by an onboard computer, ballistic has a high trajectory and transcends the atmosphere to re-enter from above the targeted site,” said a defence scientist.