Shaurya (missile)

The Shaurya is an Indian ballistic missile of the short to medium range class, widely regarded as a surface-launched counterpart of a submarine-launched weapon. The Center for Strategic and International Studies treats it together with the submarine-launched K-15 Sagarika, since many observers regard Shaurya as the land-based version of that missile. Early tests were made on land in 2008 and 2011. Its first undersea launch took place in March 2014 from a submerged barge, when it demonstrated an expanded range of about 3,000 kilometres, and a later depressed-trajectory test from an undersea barge was reported to reach 3,500 kilometres. Technical details are hard to establish because the programme is kept secret: Jane's is cited as estimating characteristics similar to the Sagarika, while other reports give a length of about 12 metres, a mass near 17 tonnes and a payload of up to 2 tonnes. It is judged likely to carry a nuclear payload as part of completing India's nuclear triad, though conventional payloads are possible.