City lab develops warhead,tests on missiles

The shaped charge warhead uses a conical metal liner that projects high velocity to the jet of metal which penetrates deep into the armour. But the distance between the target and detonation point has to be very close. It is generally used in anti-tank missiles,rifle grenades,torpedoes and various types of guided missiles-launched from land,sea,and air. “But in EFP technology,the liner is in a form of dish,and the stand off with the target can be large as 50 m. The velocity of jet of metal is low in this technique and it is effective against less thick target like incoming ballistic missile,” said DR Saroha,Project Director for development of EFP-based warhead. The information about an incoming enemy missile is fed into interceptor missile system. It follows it and is detonated close to it,reducing it into fragments. The country has only endo-atmospheric interceptor capability (below 50 km),but it is trying for exo-atmospheric by the next test flight. India is next only to the US,Russia,France and Israel,which have the Ballistic Missile Defence capability.

Saroha has been recently awarded ‘Scientist of the Year’ award by Defence Minister AK Antony for his contribution of development of new warhead technologies. Earlier also,he had guided a team of scientists to develop Blast Warhead and Exploder for the country’s first indigenously developed Torpedo.