ICBM - Agni 5 to be tested today

Today, Wednesday 18^th April 2012  will be a very important day for the Nation as in what  would be  a major leap forward in Missile technology and Military deterrent capability, India would test fire its 5,000 km range Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-5  from a test range off the coast of Odisha.  

The success of the mission will enable India join a select band of nations with capability to design, develop and produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles.  It is reported that the test will last 18 to 20 minutes before the missile impacts the target point deep inside the Indian Ocean.  News reports state that the 17-metre-long and 50-tonne missile can carry a 1.1-tonne nuclear warhead. However, in this mission, it will carry a dummy payload.  A few hundred scientists and missile technologists have been working round-the-clock for the past many days to integrate the sub-systems of the missile, which was uploaded late on Tuesday evening on to the trailer of the road mobile launcher.

Agni-V is a solid fueled intercontinental ballistic missile under development by DRDO of India. It will greatly expand India's reach to strike targets well beyond 5,500 km away.  An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a long range (greater than 5,500 km or 3,500 miles) typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more nuclear warheads). Most modern designs support multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), allowing a single missile to carry several warheads, each of which can strike a different target.

The Hindu quoting Defence Research and Development Organisation,  reports that: “This is the first time India will have a true deterrence. We had a good deterrence with Agni-III and an upgrade with Agni-IV. But Agni-V gives you a total quantum jump in that capability.”  It is stated that this  could be launched from a canister giving India the “stop-and-launch” capability. It could be stopped on the roadside and launched, providing it great mobility.  On its advantages it is stated that the missile's second stage motor casing made of carbon composite had led to drastic reduction in the weight. This would lead to higher performance.  This is described  as a “user-friendly” missile.

Wishing the Nation every Success in all its endeavours

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.




================================================================

PS:

The maiden test-firing of Agni-5 Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, scheduled for today, was postponed at the last moment till tomorrow due to bad weather conditions at the test range off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has developed the missile, said, "Due to heavy lightening in the region, the Agni-5 launch is postponed for safety reasons."  The agency has got a "window period" of two days till April 20 to conduct the test firing of the missile.

A Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) - warning against any flight operations in the area - has already been issued by the agency till the time test launch.   The missile will take 20 minutes to reach its target area in southern Indian Ocean. DRDO has deployed tracking devices and stations all along the route of the test flight to collect data on the missile's trajectory.

The tracking stations will also record the speed and homing in of the missile on to the target.