AGNI-V SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED
India demonstrated its Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capability on Thursday, 19th April, 2012, by successfully launching its most powerful and longest range missile, Agni-V, from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast. The 17-metre-long surface-to-surface ballistic missile lifted off majestically from a rail mobile launcher at 8.04 a.m. After a flight time of 20 minutes, the missile re-entry vehicle impacted the pre-designated target point more than 5,000 kms away in the Indian Ocean with a high degree of accuracy. V. K. Sarawat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister told The Hindu immediately after the success of the mission, “With this missile launch, India has emerged as a major missile power. We have joined a select group of countries possessing technology to design, develop, build and manufacture long range missiles of this class and technological complexity.”
It was a flawless flight and the three stages jettisoned on time. The third stage fired the re-entry vehicle into the atmosphere at perfect angle at an altitude of 100 kms. The pay load withstood the searing temperatures of around 3000 degree Celsius. This is the first time India has test fired a three-stage, all solid-fuelled missile. Many new technologies including the state of art navigation system and carbon composite rocket motor casings were tested in the missile. All the radar telemetry and electro optical stations along the coast besides three ships tracked the flight trajectory of the missile and final terminal event at the impact point. The fireball that erupted when the dummy payload hit the waters of the Indian Ocean was recorded by the cameras on board the ships stationed around the impact point. The missile weighed 50 tonnes and is capable of carrying a nuclear war head weighing 1.1 tonne. However, in this mission, a dummy payload simulating the weight of war head was carried.
Defence Minister A. K. Antony congratulated all the scientists in the mission for the great achievement. Avinash Chander Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems), DRDO called it a major achievement and said no other missile in India has achieved more than 5,000 km range. V.G. Sekaran, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), which designed and developed Agni-V, described it an overwhelming success. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Dr. Saraswat and Mr. Avinash Chander, and congratulated all the DRDO scientists and other employees involved in the mission. “You made the nation proud,” Dr. Singh told Dr. Saraswat.
India Thursday,19th April,2012 created history with the successful testing of the much awaited Agni-V long-range ballistic nuclear-capable missile, described as 'China killer', that can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away.With the launch from an a defence base in Odisha, India stormed into an exclusive club of nations, including US, Russia and China, that have this capability to hit targets over 5,000 km away.
The missile test was carried out at 8.07 a.m. from the test range in Wheelers' Island off Orissa coast, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) V.K. Saraswat told reporters at the test site.
"India is today a nation with proven capability to design, develop and produce a long-range ballistic missile. India is a missile power now. The three-stage Agni-V missile's entire performance has been successfully demonstrated. Agni-V is about 2,500 km short of being called an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), as the world recognised range for an ICBM is over 7,500 km.
It will go through a series more tests before it is inducted into the armed forces by the end of 2014. But this missile provides India the capability to hit targets deep inside China and the entire Pakistan territory.
However, India maintains a 'no-first-strike' nuclear weapons policy and Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are deterrents against a nuclear attack from its enemies.China, in India's neighbourhood, has the 11,500 km range Deng Fong-31A inter-continental ballistic missile in its arsenal that can hit targets all over South Asia.Antony described the development as a major milestone in the country's missile programme and said that "the nation is indeed proud" of its defence scientists. He also recalled "the untiring contributions" of former DRDO chief M. Natarajan.
Prof. John Kurakar
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| Dr. Tessy Thomas |
The missile test was carried out at 8.07 a.m. from the test range in Wheelers' Island off Orissa coast, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) V.K. Saraswat told reporters at the test site.
"India is today a nation with proven capability to design, develop and produce a long-range ballistic missile. India is a missile power now. The three-stage Agni-V missile's entire performance has been successfully demonstrated. Agni-V is about 2,500 km short of being called an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), as the world recognised range for an ICBM is over 7,500 km.
It will go through a series more tests before it is inducted into the armed forces by the end of 2014. But this missile provides India the capability to hit targets deep inside China and the entire Pakistan territory.
However, India maintains a 'no-first-strike' nuclear weapons policy and Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are deterrents against a nuclear attack from its enemies.China, in India's neighbourhood, has the 11,500 km range Deng Fong-31A inter-continental ballistic missile in its arsenal that can hit targets all over South Asia.Antony described the development as a major milestone in the country's missile programme and said that "the nation is indeed proud" of its defence scientists. He also recalled "the untiring contributions" of former DRDO chief M. Natarajan.
Prof. John Kurakar
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