India has studied, produced and used various strategic and tactical missile systems since its independence. Decades long projects have realised development of all types of missile systems including ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, air-defence, air-to-air and anti-missile systems. India is one of seven countries in the world with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and one of four countries with anti-ballistic missile systems. Since 2016, India has been a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

The use of rockets for warfare in India has been recorded in as early as the 18th century. Mysorean rockets were the first iron-cased rockets in world that were successfully deployed for military use. Mysore's conflict with East India Company exposed British to the technology leading to development of Congreve rockets and introduction of rocketry in Europe.

Research in missile technology resumed again after India's independence along with the weapons of mass destruction. Development of nuclear weapons was followed by various missile programs in 70s with development of various ballistic, cruise, surface-to-air, anti- ballistic missile and orbital launch systems. India conducted its first nuclear test and initiated with Project Devil as an attempt to reverse engineer Soviet surface-to-air missile SA-2 Guideline and Project Valiant to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile. However, it could not succeed and experience gained led to development of Prithvi series of short-range ballistic missiles. In early 80s, India conducted its first successful orbital launch and synchronized its research institutions under IGMDP and successfully developed a series of strategic missile systems. The project began in early 1980s and ended in 2008, after these strategic missiles were successfully developed. The last major missile developed under the program was the Agni 3 intermediate-range ballistic missile which was successfully tested on 9 July 2007. Since then, India has developed, tested, operationalized, and is developing several missile systems that are limited to only a handful of countries including ICBMs, ASATs, SLBMs and hypersonic weapon systems. Threats posed by enemy missile systems led to the pursuit of Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Programme.

In 2017, India produced most of defined MTCR defined missile technologies required to be integrated to produce most missile systems. As per G Satheesh Reddy, India achieved complete self reliance in missile technology.

History Kingdom of Mysore

Mysorean rockets were the first iron-cased rockets that were successfully deployed for military use. Kingdom of Mysore utilised them effectively in the conflicts against the British East India Company. In addition, wheeled rocket launchers capable of launching five to ten rockets almost simultaneously were used in war. These rockets were re-engineered as Congreve rockets by British opening the door of development of advanced rocketry further in Europe.

Post-independence Indian government constituted a teamd Special Weapons Development Team in 1958 to study guided missile systems.

The phase-I of missile program was limited to development of a first generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) by DRDO. Liquid fuel rocket engines based on Soviet missile system SA-2 were developed. Despite the overall failure of DRDO to develop a reliable ATGM, Indian laboratories had established facilities useful for machining and fabricating various parts of missile systems including gyroscopes, actuators, silver oxide-zinc batteries, booster and sustainer motors, air frame hard- ware such as fiberglass wings, ground launcher mechanisms, and wire spool winding and reeling mechanisms. India later excepted the French offer to produce SS-11B anti-tank guided missiles in 1970s. In another phase initiated in 1970s, Project Devil to reverse engineer Soviet SA-2 Guideline and Project Valiant to develop an Inter-continental ballistic missile too ended up with limited success but imparting experience and facilities for further research on missiles and space rockets. DRDO simultaneously focused on building a guidance package – an essential part of a long-range missile that determines its path and accuracy to hit a target. A platform-based inertial navigation system (INS) was developed and tested, on board an Avro aircraft, in 1974–75. Subsequently, an INS was built for both missiles and an aircraft, and this was tested in 1979 on board a Canberra aircraft. Decade of 1980s witnessed India gaining significant grounds in rocket technology and various technology demonstration programs began which became the basis of modern rocket systems in India. DRDL had developed competencies in the fields of propulsion, navigation and manufacture of materials. Indian Space Research Organisation had successfully tested India's first orbital rocket SLV-3 in 1980 whose first stage was used in Agni-TD ballistic missile for technological demonstration of Agni missile family. This subsequently led to the birth of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program and Dr. Abdul Kalam, who had previously been the project director for the SLV-3 programme at ISRO, was inducted as the DRDL Director in 1983 to conceive and lead it. He decided that DRDL would pursue multiple projects in this area simultaneously. Thus, four projects were born under the IGMDP; Short-range surface-to-surface missile (code-named Prithvi), Short-range low-level surface-to-air missile (code-named Trishul), Medium-range surface-to-air missile (code-named Akash) and Third-generation anti-tank missile (code-named Nag).

The Agni missile was initially conceived in the IGMDP as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a re-entry vehicle, and was later upgraded to a ballistic missile with different ranges. As part of this program, the Interim Test Range at Balasore in Orissa was also developed for missile testing.

The fourth phase of India's missile program stretched from mid-1990s to early 21st century. The phase has witnessed limited series production of DRDO's missiles and their deployment in battlefields. DRDO further embarked on programs in developing submarine-launched ballistic missile Sagarika, cruise missiles BrahMos, naval variant of Prithvi Dhanush. Spanning from 1970s to 2000s, India's missile programs have transitioned into a self-sustaining character. Over the period from then, India has made improvements in technology of its missile systems and has produced many missile systems including ICBMs, anti-ballistic missiles, air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles and other systems.

Diplomatic and technological hurdles After India test-fired the first Prithvi missile in 1988, and the Agni missile in 1989, the Missile Technology Control Regime (then an informal grouping established in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) decided to restrict access to any technology that would help India in its missile development program. Some of the major technology which was denied, included:

phase shifters for the phased array radars for Akash (denied by the USA). magnesium alloy used in Prithvi's wings (denied by Germany). servo-valves needed for the electro-hydraulic control systems of Agni and Prithvi. gyroscopes and accelerometers (denied by France). processors – Intel said it would not give India chips for the computers used in Prithvi and Agni.

To counter the MTCR, the IGMDP team formed a consortium of DRDO laboratories, industries and academic institutions to build these sub-systems, components and materials. Though this slowed down the progress of the program, India successfully developed indigenously all the restricted components denied to it by the MTCR.

In 2011, the DRDO Chief V K Saraswat had stated that "indigenous content" in India's strategic missiles had gone up to such a level, with ring-laser gyros, composite rocket motors, micro-navigation systems etc., that "no technology control regime" could derail them any longer.

Missile Programs and Series Abandoned programs DRDO Anti Tank Missile

In 1959, Indian agencies conducted feasibility study to develop a first generation wire guided anti-tank missile.DRDO Anti Tank Missile. The Sino-Indian war in 1962 induced the government to fund the project. Designing and wind tunnel tests went on to develop an ATGM of a range of 0.5 to 2 km with flight speed of about 90 m/s. The missile was terminated eventually in 1969 once Indian army upgraded its requirements of an ATGM of range from 1.6 km to 2 km.

Project Devil: Surface to Air Missile

The aim of Project Devil was to reverse engineer the Soviet SA-2 Guideline missile to produce an indigenous short-range surface-to-air missile. The program initially waned in favour of Project Valiant but was revived later after 1974. Although DRDL had developed and tested various systems for the missile, it was later completely cancelled in 1980 due to disputes between officials and technologies were utilised in other missile programs.

Project Valiant: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Project Valiant was one of two early liquid-fuelled missile projects developed by India, along with Project Devil in the 1970s. The goal of Project Valiant was to produce an ICBM with 30 tonne engines and a range of . Valiant missile was envisaged as an 85 tonnes liquid fueled three-staged ICBM. The missile although could reach near the stages of grounding testing, DRDO's interest in program waned due to internal disputes. ISRO was later approached with an offer to use missile for civilian uses which they declined leading to overall closure of the project. Although discontinued in 1974 without achieving full success, Project Valiant, like Project Devil, helped in the development of the Prithvi missile in the 1980s. Though never reached fruition, the projects were important precursors to the Prithvi missile developed in the 1980s.

Trishul

Trishul was a short-range surface-to-air missile to be used against low flying and sea-skimming targets. The range of the missile is 12 km and is fitted with a 15 kg warhead. The overall weight of the missile is 130 kg. Due to delay in development time and various deficiencies, Trishul could never enter production and service beyond testing and was substituted by Israeli Barak 1 missile. The project was officially closed in 2008 and DRDO embarked on more surface-to-air missile programs later.

Successful and ongoing programs Integrated Guided Missile Development Program

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was a Ministry of Defence (India) programme for the research and development of a comprehensive range of missiles. The program was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government research organisations. The program envisaged development of five strategic systems. Prithvi series of short ranged ballistic missiles, Trishul low altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile, Akash medium-range surface-to-air missile and Nag third generation anti-tank guided missile followed by Agni series of medium and long-range ballistic missiles. The project began in early 1980s and ended in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed. The last major missile developed under the program was the Agni 3 intermediate-range ballistic missile which was successfully tested on 9 July 2007.

On 8 January 2008, the DRDO formally announced the successful completion of the IGMDP. It added that the strategic integrated guided missile program was completed with its design objectives achieved since most of the missiles in the program had been developed and inducted by the Indian armed forces.

Further variants of Prithvi missile, Akash-NG, Agni-IV, Agni-V, Agni-VI and Agni based K missile family went ahead later as independent projects.

Akash