15-February 2024

Missiles are the cornerstone of the security of India. They provide potent firepower and deterrents against enemies. From an exam point of view, the missiles of India are one of the most important topics because, in every defence exam, 3-4 questions are asked about this topic. Sometimes, the question is based on the type of missile, and sometimes the question is about the range of the missile. In this article, we have provided detailed information about all the missiles of India, their types, ranges, and categories. We have provided the pdf of this list so that aspirants can save it for later also.

Difference between Ballistic Missile and Cruise Missile

Ballistic missiles fly high up into space and then drop back to Earth to hit their targets. They're like throwing a ball high in the air, and it comes down where you want it to go. Cruise missiles fly low, hugging the ground or water. They're more like remote-controlled airplanes that stay closer to the ground and follow a path to reach their target. Ballistic missiles go really fast for a short time, while cruise missiles fly at a steady speed. Ballistic missiles can hit targets far away, while cruise missiles are better for hitting targets that aren't as far and need more precision.

Important Missiles of India
Missiles	Types	Range	Speed
Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missiles of India
Agni-I	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	700-1250 km	2.5 Mach
Agni-II	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	2,000–3,000 km	2.7 Mach
Agni-III	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	Around 3,000 km	3.0 Mach
Agni-IV	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	Around 4,000 km	3.5 Mach
Agni-V	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	Around 5,000 km	5.0 Mach
Prithvi I	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	150 km	0.5 Mach
Prithvi II	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	350 km	0.7 Mach
Dhanush	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	350 – 600 km	0.8 Mach
Shaurya	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	750 to 1,900 km	0.7 Mach
Prahaar	Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile	150 km	0.6 Mach
Surface-to-Surface Cruise Missiles of India
BrahMos	Surface-to-Surface Cruise Missile	290 km	2.8 to 3 Mach
Nirbhay	Surface-to-Surface Cruise Missile	1,000 – 1500 km	0.8 Mach
Air to Air Missiles of India
Astra Mk1	Air to Air (Beyond Visual Range)	110 km	4.5 Mach
Astra Mk2	Air to Air (Beyond Visual Range)	160 km	4.5 Mach
Astra Mk3	Air to Air (Beyond Visual Range)	350 km	4.5 Mach
Novator	Air to Air (Beyond Visual Range)	200 to 300 km	3.3 Mach
Submarine-launched Ballistic Missiles (Also Known as ‘K Fanily Missiles’)
K-4	Medium-range submarine-launched ballistic missile	3,500 km	About 7.5 Mach
K-5	Intermediate-range submarine-launched ballistic missile	5,000 km	About 7.5 Mach
K-6	intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missile	6,000 to 8,000 km	About 7.5 Mach
K-15 (Also known as Sagarika)	short-range submarine-launched ballistic missile	750 km	About 7.5 Mach
Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles
Trishul	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	9 km	Mach 1.5 to Mach 2.5
Akash	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	30-70 km	Mach 2 to Mach 2.5
S-400	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	400 km	About Mach 14
QRSAM	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	30 km	Mach 4.7
VL-SRSAM	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	50 km	Mach 4.5
Barak	Surface-to-air Ballistic Missiles	70-100 km	Mach 2.1
Anti-Tank Missiles
DRDO ATM	Anti-Tank Ballistic Missile	up to 1.6 km	About 91 m/s
Amogh	Anti-Tank Ballistic Missile	up to 2.8 km	About 91 m/s
Nag	Anti-Tank Ballistic Missile	2.5 to 10 km	About 91 m/s
Spike ATGM	Anti-Tank Ballistic Missile	4 km	About 91 m/s