Dec 28, 2011

Mobile System at 9.00 AM from Wheelers’ Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile followed its trajectory, in a text book fashion, attained a height of about 900 kms and reached the pre-designated target in the international waters of Bay of Bengal. All mission objectives were fully met. All the systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering the re-entry temperatures of more than 3000⁰C. The 20 tonne, AGNI IV will be operational by 2013 after two to four tests.

This missile is one of its kind, proving many new technologies for the first time, and represents a quantum leap in terms of missile technology. The Missile is lighter in weight and has two stages of Solid Propulsion and a Payload with Re-entry heat shield. The Composite Rocket Motor which has been used for the first time has given excellent performance. The 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 (MINGS) complementing each other in redundant mode have been successfully flown in guidance mode for the first time. The high performance onboard computer with distributed Avionics architecture, high speed reliable communication bus and a full Digital Control System have controlled and guided the Missile to the target. The Missile reached the target with very high level of accuracy. Radars and electro-optical systems along the Coast of Odisha have tracked and monitored all the parameters of the Missile. Two Indian Naval ships located near the target witnessed the final event.

The DRDO elated by this test is preparing for test launch of 5000 km range Agni-V, 50 tonne ballistic missile between December to February and operationalise the same by 2014. "The three-stage Agni-V is undergoing integration at the moment...it's on schedule," DRDO chief V K Saraswat said.  "We are not looking at how many missiles China or Pakistan has. With a 'no first-use' nuclear weapons policy, we only want a sufficient number of missiles to defend the country in the event of a crisis. Ours is a defensive-mode strategy, even if others have offensive postures," Saraswat added as per the Times of India to defuse talk of a zero sum game between the regional adversaries.

            But as India sets about fulfilling the dream of joining the exclusive club of ICBM members this would once again set the missile race with China even as the country so far was only restricted to keeping up with Pakistan in the West However given the need for deterrence against China necessity of expanding the missile arsenal to include an ICBM is felt and the development of the Agni V ballistic missile is under progress to make it fully operational in 2014. While the DRDO has not been timely in delivering other programmes there has been some credibility in developing strategic  systems particularly missiles and now even the anti ballistic missile system is being fully developed and may be fielded in the months ahead. Since these systems have to cater for deterrence against China and Pakistan both these are being developed with varying capacities and ranges thereby adding to the deterrence punch. How the Agni V which is seen as the ultimate system from the Indian point of view fructifies remains to be seen?

On 1 December the AGNI A1-06, 700 km range ballistic missile was successfully flight tested from Wheeler Island by the Indian Army. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile Launcher System and reached the target point in the Bay of Bengal. The missile was tracked by radar and telemetry stations located along the coastline. Two Naval Ships located near the target point tracked the missile in the terminal phase of the flight. The missile, indigenously developed by DRDO, is already in the arsenal of Indian Armed Forces. [PIB Report].

 All the systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering the re-entry temperatures of more than 3000⁰C. The 20 tonne, AGNI IV will be operational by 2013 after two to four tests.

This missile is one of its kind, proving many new technologies for the first time, and represents a quantum leap in terms of missile technology. The Missile is lighter in weight and has two stages of Solid Propulsion and a Payload with Re-entry heat shield. The Composite Rocket Motor which has been used for the first time has given excellent performance. The 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 (MINGS) complementing each other in redundant mode have been successfully flown in guidance mode for the first time. The high performance onboard computer with distributed Avionics architecture, high speed reliable communication bus and a full Digital Control System have controlled and guided the Missile to the target. The Missile reached the target with very high level of accuracy. Radars and electro-optical systems along the Coast of Odisha have tracked and monitored all the parameters of the Missile. Two Indian Naval ships located near the target witnessed the final event.

The DRDO elated by this test is preparing for test launch of 5000 km range Agni-V, 50 tonne ballistic missile between December to February and operationalise the same by 2014. "The three-stage Agni-V is undergoing integration at the moment...it's on schedule," DRDO chief V K Saraswat said.  "We are not looking at how many missiles China or Pakistan has. With a 'no first-use' nuclear weapons policy, we only want a sufficient number of missiles to defend the country in the event of a crisis. Ours is a defensive-mode strategy, even if others have offensive postures," Saraswat added as per the Times of India to defuse talk of a zero sum game between the regional adversaries.

            But as India sets about fulfilling the dream of joining the exclusive club of ICBM members this would once again set the missile race with China even as the country so far was only restricted to keeping up with Pakistan in the West However given the need for deterrence against China necessity of expanding the missile arsenal to include an ICBM is felt and the development of the Agni V ballistic missile is under progress to make it fully operational in 2014. While the DRDO has not been timely in delivering other programmes there has been some credibility in developing strategic  systems particularly missiles and now even the anti ballistic missile system is being fully developed and may be fielded in the months ahead. Since these systems have to cater for deterrence against China and Pakistan both these are being developed with varying capacities and ranges thereby adding to the deterrence punch. How the Agni V which is seen as the ultimate system from the Indian point of view fructifies remains to be seen?

On 1 December the AGNI A1-06, 700 km range ballistic missile was successfully flight tested from Wheeler Island by the Indian Army. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile Launcher System and reached the target point in the Bay of Bengal. The missile was tracked by radar andtelemetry stations located along the coastline. Two Naval Ships located near the target point tracked the missile in the terminal phase of the flight. The missile, indigenously developed by DRDO, is already in the arsenal of Indian Armed Forces. [PIB Report].

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