India Boosts Missile Production, Enlists Private Sector for Rocket Force

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is actively seeking partnerships between public and private companies to ramp up the production of long-range, subsonic cruise missiles. These missiles will equip India's newly established dedicated rocket force.

Military officials stress the need for a large arsenal of precision-strike missiles, potentially numbering in the thousands. This stockpile is seen as crucial in countering evolving threats along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LOC).

India's first domestically developed cruise missile is driving this initiative. After extensive trials, the missile is ready for mass production. The MoD's vision goes beyond simple component manufacturing; they aim to have both public and private companies handle complete missile assembly.

Further, the missile is being modified for launch from land, sea, and air platforms, significantly expanding its strategic capabilities.

The Manik engine, indigenously developed by GTRE and manufactured by Godrej, is a key milestone in India's quest for self-reliance in missile technology. This project signals a wider shift towards public-private collaboration in the nation's defense production.

 

[sanket]

Induct in Large Numbers, its cheap and very effective stealthy tooo. waiting for Air Launch version of cruise missile Test.

 

[Satya Dev]

Hamas & Hezbollah rained 5000 rockets on Israel on 7/10/2023 and last week Iran fired nearly 200 drones & 100 ballistic missile on Israel - gives an idea that these are being mass produced - so considering a 2-front war scenario we should mass produce & stock lakhs of LR Rockets, LR loitering munitions & Sub-super-hyper Sonic Missiles.
What's the status of testing of MaheshwarastraMK1&2 rockets with 150 & 250-300Km ranges?

 

[Borodine]

Hamas & Hezbollah rained 5000 rockets on Israel on 7/10/2023 and last week Iran fired nearly 200 drones & 100 ballistic missile on Israel - gives an idea that these are being mass produced - so considering a 2-front war scenario we should mass produce & stock lakhs of LR Rockets, LR loitering munitions & Sub-super-hyper Sonic Missiles.
What's the status of testing of MaheshwarastraMK1&2 rockets with 150 & 250-300Km ranges?

The majority of those 5000 "rockets" are not even comparable to Grads. But yes, I get your point, mass produced cheap cruise missiles and long range loitering munitions afford excellent stand-off capability.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

The track record of Manek engine performance has been very spotty with several failures on Nirbhay. Hope they really test it for performance before relying on it !!

 

[Sandeep]

The track record of Manek engine performance has been very spotty with several failures on Nirbhay. Hope they really test it for performance before relying on it !!

The Manik engine was never used on the Nirbhay missiles. The Manik engine was recently developed and tested on a new ITCM missile and its passed its test so this is the first subsonic missile that we have developed.

 

[Sandeep]

This is good news and progress that we have developed a 100% indigenous engine and missile. Now we need to develop our rocket force but also need to install this on our naval ships as well as on our jets. It's not clear what the maximum range is but we need it to be at least over 1000km range. It's not clear if we could install this missile on our jets or it might need to be modified but we need to increase our missile range because our only long range missile is the heavy and large Brahmos missile with a 300km range.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

The Manik engine was never used on the Nirbhay missiles. The Manik engine was recently developed and tested on a new ITCM missile and its passed its test so this is the first subsonic missile that we have developed.

DRDO announced the completion of Nirbhay cruise missile development project on 6 February 2023 after completing six developmental trials. The Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile was powered by a Russian NPO Saturn 36MT engine. Of the six trials, two were failures, three were claimed to be success and one test was partial success.
Name was changed to ITCM and the ITCM tests had begun in 2020.The first test on 20th Oct 2020 using GTRE STFE MANIK turbofan engine had ended in a failure. The second test on 24th June 2021 using GTRE MANIK turbofan engine was success with the missile traveling a full 1500kms. The third test on 11th Aug 2021 using MANIK turbofan engine was a failure again.. The fourth test on 28th Oct 2022 was a failure again. The fifth trial on 21st Feb 2023 was a success and finally the sixth one on 18th April 2024 was a success again.
At best, ITCM has a 50% success rate. Is this good enough to have confidence for mass production of a missile deemed to be crucial component for the armed forces? If so, on what basis?

 

[kumar]

This is good news and progress that we have developed a 100% indigenous engine and missile. Now we need to develop our rocket force but also need to install this on our naval ships as well as on our jets. It's not clear what the maximum range is but we need it to be at least over 1000km range. It's not clear if we could install this missile on our jets or it might need to be modified but we need to increase our missile range because our only long range missile is the heavy and large Brahmos missile with a 300km range.

It is 1000+kms range missile. Naval and air version is being developed. And I agree, that DRDO should start working on 2000 km range missile as we need better stand off distance especially with China.

 

[Enforcer]

Main point is:

India needs 3000+ cruise missiles to counter Pakistan and China.

About 1000 Brahmos missiles to eliminate enemy air defenses and other strategic assets

Atleast 2000 - 1500km plus range cruise missiles with much heavier & interchangeable warhead to tackle common threats on battlefield and take on strategic targets deep into the territory.

Yes it is expensive but it will save countless soldiers lives on the battlefield.

 

[beencensured]

Main point is:

India needs 3000+ cruise missiles to counter Pakistan and China.

About 1000 Brahmos missiles to eliminate enemy air defenses and other strategic assets

Atleast 2000 - 1500km plus range cruise missiles with much heavier & interchangeable warhead to tackle common threats on battlefield and take on strategic targets deep into the territory.

Yes it is expensive but it will save countless soldiers lives on the battlefield.

Think in lakhs.

 

[Hari Sud]

Induct in Large Numbers, its cheap and very effective stealthy tooo. waiting for Air Launch version of cruise missile Test.

It should have been ready years ago, but failed tests delayed it. Nobody was held responsible for failures.

 

[Sandeep]

DRDO announced the completion of Nirbhay cruise missile development project on 6 February 2023 after completing six developmental trials. The Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile was powered by a Russian NPO Saturn 36MT engine. Of the six trials, two were failures, three were claimed to be success and one test was partial success.
Name was changed to ITCM and the ITCM tests had begun in 2020.The first test on 20th Oct 2020 using GTRE STFE MANIK turbofan engine had ended in a failure. The second test on 24th June 2021 using GTRE MANIK turbofan engine was success with the missile traveling a full 1500kms. The third test on 11th Aug 2021 using MANIK turbofan engine was a failure again.. The fourth test on 28th Oct 2022 was a failure again. The fifth trial on 21st Feb 2023 was a success and finally the sixth one on 18th April 2024 was a success again.
At best, ITCM has a 50% success rate. Is this good enough to have confidence for mass production of a missile deemed to be crucial component for the armed forces? If so, on what basis?

With any new technology that we are developing for the first time it will not always guarantee a success from the first launch. The main point is that they fixed all of the hardware and software problems and it’s now ready with our first indigenous Manik engine.

 

[Akshat]

Main point is:

India needs 3000+ cruise missiles to counter Pakistan and China.

About 1000 Brahmos missiles to eliminate enemy air defenses and other strategic assets

Atleast 2000 - 1500km plus range cruise missiles with much heavier & interchangeable warhead to tackle common threats on battlefield and take on strategic targets deep into the territory.

Yes it is expensive but it will save countless soldiers lives on the battlefield.

And where did you come up with these numbers from?

 

[Ajath]

Main point is:

India needs 3000+ cruise missiles to counter Pakistan and China.

About 1000 Brahmos missiles to eliminate enemy air defenses and other strategic assets

Atleast 2000 - 1500km plus range cruise missiles with much heavier & interchangeable warhead to tackle common threats on battlefield and take on strategic targets deep into the territory.

Yes it is expensive but it will save countless soldiers lives on the battlefield.

If India has to go by your wish list then Indian defence budget should be around. 300 Billion Plus. Indian current defence budget is around. 75 Billion. So not possible at all under current situation.

 

[Ajath]

Think in lakhs.

He will come up with 7 figure mark.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

With any new technology that we are developing for the first time it will not always guarantee a success from the first launch. The main point is that they fixed all of the hardware and software problems and it’s now ready with our first indigenous Manik engine.

The point is that the engine needs to be tested further to ensure 100% dependability and the ITCM is not yet ready for mass production !

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

The point is that the engine needs to be tested further to ensure 100% dependability and the ITCM is not yet ready for mass production !

A few more trials are required in full confimation.

 

[Torontodude]

And where did you come up with these numbers from?

Why don't you provide your numbers. Try to be a part of the solution.