Agni-III takes India to IRBM club
India on Wednesday entered a select club of nations possessing intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) with a range of up to 3,000 km, when it successfully test-fired, surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Agni-III missile.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday entered a select club of nations possessing intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) with a range of up to 3,000 km, when it successfully test-fired, surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Agni-III missile. With this, the Indian security establishment has acquired the capability to hit targets deep inside China, including Beijing and Shanghai.
The all-solid fuel missile took off from Wheelers Island off the coast of Orissa 9:56 am and achieved its full range and accuracy by reaching its pre-designated target in 800 seconds. ���The missile is now ready for induction,������ visibly happy DRDO scientists said after the missile achieved its target in a copy-book style.
The development was described as DRDO���s golden jubilee gift to the nation as the organisation gets set to kick off from Monday celebrations to commemorate 50 years of its existence. The success of Agni-III paves the way for India to build its truly inter-continental range missiles Agni-IV with a range of 5,000 km in the near future.
A miniaturised submarine-launched version of the Agni-III called Agni-III SL is also being developed and could be test-fired shortly, DRDO scientists said. Unlike Agni-I and Agni-II, the Agni-III missile has been designed and optimised to carry lighter 200 KT thermo nuclear pay-load weapons.
The third-stage booster being installed for the future Agni range of missiles will give them capability of hitting targets at longer distances fairly accurately. ���The missile reached the pre-designated target in a time of 800 seconds, travelling through a peak height of 350 km with a velocity of more than 4,000 m a second,������ Avinash Chander, Director of the Agni Project, told reporters in Balasore later in the day.
���All the sub-systems of the missile functioned in a copy book manner giving an outstanding integrated performance of the missile in terms of range and accuracy,������ he said.
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