- Overview: India has exponentially upgraded its second-strike capability. Today, the Indian Navy successfully test-fired the K-5 submarine-launched hypersonic ballistic missile from a submerged Arihant-class submarine in the Bay of Bengal.
- Key Points:
- Unstoppable Velocity: The K-5 exits the ocean and accelerates to hypersonic speeds in the upper atmosphere. It maneuvers unpredictably, rendering enemy anti-ballistic missile (ABM) shields entirely useless.
- Deep Sea Deterrence: With an estimated range of over 5,000 kilometers, an Indian submarine patrolling safely in the southern Indian Ocean can now strike high-value targets deep inside hostile territory.
- Nuclear Triad Fortified: This successful test proves that India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent is fully mature, survivable, and lethal.
- Aatmanirbhar Mastery: The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed this missile entirely in-house, mastering the incredibly complex physics of underwater missile ejection.
- Q1. The ‘K-Family’ of missiles, developed by the DRDO, is specifically designed for which strategic platform?
- Airborne stealth fighter jets
- Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs)
- Mobile ground-based artillery units
- Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)
