Balasore​/Hyderabad: India on Thursday successfully test-fired intercontinental 5,000-8,000 km range surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V from the integrated test range (ITR) at the Abdul Kalam island off the Odisha coast.
The flight test of the indigenously developed missile was conducted at 9.53 am. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisa-tion (DRDO), the missile was test-fired from Launch Pad Complex-4 of the ITR.
Agni-V is capable of carrying nuclear or traditional warhead of about 1.5 tonnes. The three-stage, 17.5-metre tall and two-metre wide Agni-V weighs around 50 tonnes.
Accuracy level of the missile, which has a strike range of 5,000-8,000 km, is far higher than three earlier variants — Agni-II, Agni-III and Agni-IV.
Earlier, test-fire of the missile was conducted successfully in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Weapon of peace, Agni-V is a stealth
Described “a weapon of peace,” Agni-5 is a ‘fire-and-forget’ system that cannot be easily detected by the enemies as it follows a ballistic trajectory, say experts.
While India has already in its arsenal Agni 1, 2, 3 and 4 missiles and supersonic cruise missiles like Brahmos, Agni-5 will be inducted into the defence system after a few more successful trial tests.
Developed underIntegrated Guided Missile Development Programme, the Agni series missiles such as Agni-1 (700-km range), Agni-2 (2,000 km range) Agni-3 (2,500 km range) and Agni-4 3,500 km range have considerably added to country’s military strength. Agni-6 is reported to be in development stages.
The missile will have the capability to be launched from submarines as well as from land, with a strike-range of 8,000-10,000 km.
DRDO chairman Dr S. Christopher said, the fifth consecutive successful flight test of the Agni-V is a major boost to country’s defence capabilities. Defence minister’s scientific adviser Dr G. Sateesh Reddy, who is also Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, who witnessed the launch added, “The repeated success of Agni-V shows that maturity obtained by the defence scientific fraternity in missile technology.”
The Agni-5 which was successfully test-fired has major contributions from the Tamil Nadu industry which provided the main ingredients for the ballistic missile, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Chennai. “...The main ingredients for the Agni-5 came from Tamil Nadu industry”, Sitharaman said.
