Why in news
India launched K4 missile, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile from INS Arighaat, located off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
The test was conducted from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Bay of Bengal.
This marks the first-ever test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) by India.
India is now part of a small group of nations that can launch nuclear missiles from land, air, and undersea.
K4 Missile
The K-4 or Kalam-4 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The K-4 is a variant of the land-based Agni-III missile, and is designed to arm India's nuclear-powered submarines:
The K-4 has a range of 3,500 kilometers and can reach almost all of Pakistan and parts of China.
Size- The K-4 is 10 meters long, weighs 20 tonnes, and has a diameter of 1.3 meters.
The K-4 can carry a 2 tonne payload.
The K-4 uses an inertial navigation system with GPS/NavIC satellite guidance for mid-course, and terrain contour matching for terminal guidance.
The K-4 has a two stage solid rocket motor and uses solid rocket propellant.
COMMENTS