BALASORE (ODISHA): Making a quantum jump in its missile programme, India on Tuesday successfully test-fired a highly advanced nuclear capable Agni-4 long range ballistic missile with a strike range of 3,000 km from an island off Odisha coast. The missile is one of its kind of world class providing many new technologies for the first time and its range can be boosted up to 3500 km, Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta said.
Agni-4 missile system has opened a new era in the class of long range missile having capability to carry strategic warheads for the forces and has provided a ‘fantastic deterrence’ to the country, he said.
The missile was launched from a Road Mobile System at 0900 hours from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheelers’ Island, defence sources said adding it paved the way for early test launch of Agni-5. “The trial was fully successful. All mission objectives were fully met. All the systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering the re-entry temperatures of more than 3000 degree C,” Gupta said. Agni-4 missile, hitherto known as Agni-II Prime, had a text book trajectory and reached a height of about 900 km and reached the pre-designated target in the international waters of Bay of Bengal, a DRDO scientist said. It is lighter in weight and has two stages of solid propulsion and a payload with re-entry heat shield. The composite rocket motor was used for the first time and gave excellent performance.
It is 20 metres long with launch weight of 17 tonne. It can carry one tonne pay-load. “While the Agni-II missile has a strike range of 2000 km and Agni-III can hit a target at a distance of up to 3500 km, this new Agni-IV missile would bridge the gap,” defence sources saidAvinash Chander, Chief Controller (Missiles & Strategic Systems), DRDO and AGNI Programme Director, addressing scientists after the launch said the missile was a new era in the modern long range navigation system in the country.
”This has paved the way ahead for the success of AGNI-5 Mission, which will be launched shortly,” he said. Agni-4 missile system is equipped with modern and compact avionics with redundancy to provide high level of reliability. The indigenous ring laser gyros-based high accuracy INS (RINS) and micro navigation system complementing each other in redundant mode were successfully flown in guidance mode for the first time, DRDO sources said.
The high performance onboard computer with distributed avionics architecture and high speed reliable communication bus and a full digital control system have controlled and guided the missile to the target with very high level of accuracy. All the radars and electro-optical systems along the coast of Odisha have tracked and monitored all the parameters of the vehicle. Two naval ships located near the target witnessed the final event, the sources said.
Scientific Advisor to the defence minister, Dr V K Saraswat congratulated the scientists and employees of DRDO and the armed forces for the successful launch of AGNI-4. Tessy Thomas, Project Director AGNI-4 and team prepared and integrated the Missile System and launched the missile successfully. Commander in Chief of Strategic Force Command, Air Marshal K J Mathews witnessed the launch. S K Ray, Director RCI, P Venugopalan, Director of Defence Research and Laboratory, V G Sekaran, Director of Advanced System Laboratory and S P Dash, Integrated Test Range Director were present during the launch and reviewed all activities. (PTI)