Trishul missile is a failure

[Pervaiz_K]

Snags put Trishul on backburner

- By Siddhartha Kumar

New Delhi, Jan. 7: Nearly 20 years after India embarked on what would be a thorny road — its surface-to-air missile programme — its scientists have put the programme on the “backburner.”
The missile has not been successful because its variants have encountered technical problems in the guidance systems. As it is a command-guided missile, Trishul is controlled by ground systems in its flight.

The ambitious Trishul programme, which was scheduled to be ready by 1992, is years behind schedule, and is also not a priority now. Intended to counter low-flying aircraft, helicopters and anti-ship missiles, it was supposed to be an important missile demanded by the forces.

The forces have registered protests earlier about the delay in delivery. Trishul’s non-induction has raised problems for the Indian Navy in the past. Out of five tests, two failed, and the major problem is the control and guidance system, scientists say.
The top defence scientist of the country and Defence Research and Development Organisation chief, Dr V.K. Aatre, said the Trishul was on the “backburner” while agreeing there were “technical” problems. Scientists, on the other hand, say US sanctions had an effect as the delivery of some critical components was delayed.

A defence ministry spokesperson said, “The missile has as yet not been successful and the defects have to be rectified. Yet it is true that it is on the backburner and it is not the priority of 2003. The priority of 2003, according to the DRDO, is the Light Combat Aircraft and the Akash and Brahmos missile.”

The spokesperson added, “Any missile programme has a lot of hit and trial. It will not be a priority though it is not that the project has been abandoned. It is still alive and will be revived soon after. It will resume once the 2003 programmes are a success, but that cannot be predicted. The decision will be taken depending on the situation.”

The Trishul has variants for the three services and is a quick-reaction surface-to-air missile with a range of nine km. The complete weapon system, covering the missile launcher, radar and support systems, has been developed till now.