India scraps integrated guided missile programme
Tuesday January 8, 10:03 PM

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) India today announced scrapping of the country's strategic integrated guided missile programme, and said the development and production of most of futuristic weapons systems would henceforth be undertaken with foreign collobration.

However, longer range missiles, under-sea launched missiles and furturistic weapons systems like electronic counter-warfare measures would be "undertaken in-house", said one of the country's top defence scientists Dr S Prahlada.

He said "closure" of the Integrated Development of Guided Missile Programme(IDGMP) had been done as manufacture of the most of the missiles to be developed under the project had been almost completed and inducted into the armed forces.

India to scrap Trishul missile project

George Iype in Kochi

After 20 years of research and trials, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has decided to scrap the Trishul missile project -- one of the most ambitious surface-to-air missile initiatives in the country.

Trishul, which underwent seven "successful test-firings" over the years at INS Dronacharya, the Indian Navy's offshore establishment at Kochi, has been found wanting in "technical and operational capabilities."

Senior DRDO scientists said the defence ministry decided to dump the short-range quick-reaction missile because "its command guidance never worked properly."

Trishul was part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development programme. Of the other four missiles -- Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag -- that were part of the IGMD programme, only two -- Agni and Prithvi -- have shown positive results.

Though each test flight of Trishul was described as successful, a DRDO scientist said there were scores of technical problems that the missile encountered.

As per the country's defence plans, these surface-to-air missiles were to have replaced the Russian-supplied OSA-AK and Kvadrat systems by early 1990s.

The Trishul project was launched in 1983 and officials say the DRDO has so far spent around Rs 3 billion on its development.

"The main reason why we are shelving Trishul is because the missile technology we have been using is obsolete. I do not know why the DRDO continued with the project all these years. It has been a waste of time and money," a senior official at the Southern Naval Command told rediff.com.

He said the Indian Navy had lost interest in Trishul long back and it had even written to the defence ministry four years back asking the government to abandon the project.

pta nahi kya ho raha hai INDIA mein?????????????????

Starnge...I haven't yet come across as yet!! but jo bhi hai...it's really disheartening! :-[

I disagree with the views.

It is an essential one - and I have first hand information about India's capability - we have to work further - of course budget is a constraint.

What happened to Akash It was going alright? I think India has developed good vehicle launch technology for placing satellites in orbit and that only the reason why Agni and Prithvi only become very successful and operational.

we (India) have many success stores - scrapping the missile programme is not a good idea.

we should encourage such activites aiming at dual use - first make the programme useful to Public by way of peaceful means - when occassion warranted - we should convert the programme for warfare/missible, etc.,

we should also work for international peace

when China, Pakistan are building up their missile programme - are we not to wake up now and work in right direction.

We need not wast Public money - we can as well develop hardwares and software aiming for dual use.