Agni V successfully testfired from Odisha today..

Great Happy News for all Indian Citizens – at 8.07 am today, Agni V was successfully test fired.  A happy moment indeed for all of us.

With this launch, India entered an exclusive club of nations that have this capability, becoming only the fourth nation in the world after US, Russia and China.  The missile test was carried out at 8.07 a.m. from the test range in Wheeler Island off Orissa coast, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V.K. Saraswat told reporters at the test site.  The Agni-V will go through a series of tests before it is inducted into the armed forces. But this missile provides India the capability to hit targets deep inside South Asia.

In Vedic Culture, we worship the five natural super powers and Agni is accorded a pride of place with many hymns in Rig Veda dedicated to Agni.   In Hindu mythology, sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods. He is ever-young, because the fire is re-lit every day, yet he is also immortal.

The test-firing was originally scheduled yesterday but was re-scheduled at the last moment due to bad weather conditions at the test range off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal.  It was due to heavy lightning in the region, the launch was postponed.  

 Photo courtesy : firstpost.com

This morning [19^th Apr 2012), Agni-V, India’s first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) was successfully launched and India joined the elite club of US, Russia, France and China  that possess the capability to operate an ICBM.  Agni-V is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and will be crucial for India’s defence against China. The missile can carry a pay-load of 1 tonne, is 17 m long, 2 m wide and weighs 50 tonnes. After the missile is inducted into India’s strategic forces by 2014-2015, India will acquire a strong deterrent capacity against China.  Agni-V can cover entire China, Eastern Europe, North Eastern and Eastern Africa and even Australia if fired from the Nicobar Islands.

Once launched the missile cannot be stopped, and can only be launched on the direct orders of the Prime Minister. Agni V can also be launched from the road side in a special silo.

May not be a great weapon of war, and we hope that it would never be used – but would always be a powerful deterrent in entertaining thoughts of war against us.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.