Indian Missile News And Discussion

[Arun_S]

India ready to testfire 5,000 km range Agni-V within a year



[url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/India-ready-to-testfire-5000-km-range-Agni-V-within-a-year/articleshow/5557456.cms"]http://economictimes...how/5557456.cms[/url]





10 Feb 2010, 2045 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: India said it will testfire the over 5,000 km range nuclear-capable Agni-V surface to surface ballistic missile "within a year",

enabling it to bring all the possible targets in China and Pakistan within its striking radius.



The test-firing of the Agni-V missile will also help India to join the elite club on nations with the capability to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), DRDO Chief V K Saraswat said here.



"Agni-V is a 5,000 km plus missile in the ICBM category and we are planning to carry out its first test within a year," he told reporters here.



Saraswat said, "after Agni III and Agni V, as far as cities in China and Pakistan are concerned, there will be no target that we want to hit but can't hit."



Comparing the Agni-III with Chinese 2,500 km range DF-21 and DF-25, Agni programme Director Avinash Chander said in terms of "accuracy and technology-wise", the indigenous missiles were better than the ones in the neighbourhood.



Commenting on the Agni-V, the DRDO chief said the "missile was already out of the drawing boards."



He said the missile would be capable of being launched from canisters, which will help it to be launched from multiple platforms.



With certain modifications, canister launchers enable ballistic missiles to be fired from ships and other moving platforms.

So Agni-V will likely be what I have called by the name the Agni-III SL

[Menander]

[quote name='Arun_S' date='10 February 2010 - 02:12 AM' timestamp='1265747674' post='104054']

As Shri Sathish Chandra mentioned long ago, Agni-3 is a very flexible rocket platform that give rise a family of missiles; with varied payload combination and rocket stages that can mixed and matched for various performance configurations. Agni-3TD has validated the base elements of rocketery on which these varients can easily morph.

[/quote]



Arun, could you please provide the specs (thrust, weight) of the 2 stages of the Agni III missile. Has the figures been released officially ? Oh! I'm Gopal.

[Guest]

The post boost vehicle or the bus indeed seems to be a very complex piece of equipment. It has to know the exact speed of the missile, the orientation along the 3 vectors, the exact location of the missile and the intended impact point of each of the RVs.



It then has to align the RVs to the required angle? so that they re-enter the atmosphere with the heat shield directed correctly.



Indeed amazing science and engineering!

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Gagan' date='10 February 2010 - 11:16 PM' timestamp='1265823497' post='104086']

The post boost vehicle or the bus indeed seems to be a very complex piece of equipment. It has to know the exact speed of the missile, the orientation along the 3 vectors, the exact location of the missile and the intended impact point of each of the RVs.



It then has to align the RVs to the required angle? so that they re-enter the atmosphere with the heat shield directed correctly.



Indeed amazing science and engineering!

[/quote]



PBV Bus info on teh web is 30 year product style to deliver inactive (passive) inertial payload mass to target; OTOH when RV has velocity correction package built in along with guidance and maneuvering, the PBV Bus role changes significantly (greater simplicity).

[Menander]

Agni III launch video



[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkmDUOiFCs&feature=player_embedded"]Agni III launch[/url]

[Guest]

[quote name='Gagan' date='10 February 2010 - 11:16 PM' timestamp='1265823497' post='104086']

The post boost vehicle or the bus indeed seems to be a very complex piece of equipment. It has to know the exact speed of the missile, the orientation along the 3 vectors, the exact location of the missile and the intended impact point of each of the RVs.



It then has to align the RVs to the required angle? so that they re-enter the atmosphere with the heat shield directed correctly.



Indeed amazing science and engineering!

[/quote]





Mr. Gagan of BR fame, post-boost vehicle is the re-entry system. PBV deploys the RVs in a very precise (and typically covert) manner, and place whatever countermeasures it might have aboard to obscure the RV from any possible anti-missile system. The vehicles are covered with material to protect them during re-entry through the atmosphere to their targets and are mechanically attached to the deployment module. The attachments are unlatched by gas pressure from an explosive cartridge broken by small, exploding bolts, which free the re-entry vehicles, allowing them to separate from the DM with little disturbance. Each deployed re-entry vehicle follows a ballistic path to its target.........



India has to cover some ground on this - hence 5 more years I reckon, and since assumption is mother of all the mess ups - its no good speculating on this whether the process of drawing board to proto type is over with....

[Praveen]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkmDUOiFCs&feature=player_embedded[/media]

Agni III launch video inline

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Menander' date='10 February 2010 - 11:53 PM' timestamp='1265825727' post='104088']

Agni III launch video



[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkmDUOiFCs&feature=player_embedded"]Agni III launch[/url]

[/quote]



Clearly shows the trajectory chosen had a range ~2500 km.



If they had also shown teh velocity of teh missile, that would have given away its secret on trajectory and maxium range (for teh unknown payload mass it was carrying).



Excellent !!

[ramana]

Evolution of Re-Entry technology

[ramana]

AIII induction was quite fast. Three tests in three years with third one as user trial.The first one was in 2006.



Interesting that there are no sqawks from the services unlike in other times. Indicates the urgency and seriousness of the matters. Especially after the G-2 emerging.

[emperor]

[quote name='Menander' date='10 February 2010 - 12:36 PM' timestamp='1265822907' post='104085']

Arun, could you please provide the specs (thrust, weight) of the 2 stages of the Agni III missile. Has the figures been released officially ? Oh! I'm Gopal.

[/quote]

<img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />



R u kidding?

No one will release the thrust and payload configurations,...... Otherwise they wont be called as missiles of deterrence,they will be simply called as missiles of pooh pooh.





Lets put it this way such that A-III is one of the most reliable nuclear warhead thrower <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> .For a missile to boast of its capability one has to see what kind of features it includes.It can`t be intercepted either in boost phase or during mid-course.Its highly variable thrust vectoring nozzle manuevers the missile out of the threat zone based on the feeds of the on-board sensors.And when the mizzile reaches its terminal phase,the on board defensive measures and decoys along with original warheads make sure that the enemy will be fooled as easily as it can be <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Do you expect DRDO release the specs of such kind of missile? <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Guest]

via livefist [http://livefist.blogspot.com/]





Image:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/S3MLWV6qObI/AAAAAAAAJWQ/kwFRChnawYE/s1600-h/agni5.jpg



I spent a few minutes interviewing Dr Avinash Chander, director of India's Agni missile programme (and Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory) on Wednesday evening. He is the country's most valuable rocket scientist today, but you wouldn't know it. Unassuming, quiet and supremely focused on his task, he's a man who has spent the last three years giving the Indian government options that it has never had before. And with the Agni-III strategic missile completing its testing stage and now ready for operational induction with India's Strategic Forces Command, it's time for the next big thing.



At this time next year, India will begin testing its longest range weapon yet, the newest in its Agni family of strategic ballistic missiles, named the Agni-V. According to DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat, the country's seniormost weapon scientist, "The Agni-V has moved out of the drawing board. We have crossed the metal cutting stage. We are now testing and evaluating subsystems and plan to conduct a first flight trial within a year."



According to Dr Chander, the Agni-V will be 22-metres long and approximately 1-ton heavier than the Agni-III. The Agni-V's navigation system and warhead will be identical to the Agni-III, as will a great deal of subsystems, aggregates and electronics. The team has stated that 60 per cent of the first missile system is complete, while the remainder involves the crucial third stage of the missile. Dr Chander revealed today that the challenges that lied ahead include changes in the payload structure, introduction of extra heating and slight changes to the re-entry mechanism. The Agni-V will also be the first Indian missile with a composite rocket motor as opposed to a metallic one.



"The problems we had with previous tests of the Agni-2 and Agni-III were not design defects but problems with quality assurance. We have rectified those problems and don't foresee any such hurdles on the Agni-V," Dr Chander said.



Clarifying that India did NOT have an independent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme, DRDO chief Dr Saraswat said, "The country's requirement right now is a missile with a range in the region of 5,000-km-plus. A missile with a range beyond this has not been identified as necessary for our strategic programme. However, we have the capability to build longer range missiles if the country calls upon us to do so. The building blocks are already in place."



Cocking a snook at the Chinese ballistic missile programme, Dr Chander told me, "I can say that our technology is maturer than theirs. And of course, there is no comparison at all with Pakistan. We are technologically way ahead of them. Of course, the Agni is our very own missile, not borrowed technology."

[shijo]

India readies propulsion system design for new cruise missile







http://www.indianexpress.com/news/India-...ile/578491





India has completed the propulsion system design of its new cruise missile 'Nirbhay', which will have a strike range of 800 kms

<img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

:blink:great news <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

[ramana]

A request. This is serious thread and peppering with smileys etc takes it away from the seriousness.



Thanks, ramana

[Arun_S]

Wow that is a nice picture of Agni-5 !!! But with obvious/telltale signs of photo-shop.

The two inter-stage images have pixel pattern with ZERO change unexpected of any perspective view. Also see the reflected shadow on the left has been roughly transposed with no attempt made to erase it.



[quote name='Austin' date='11 February 2010 - 09:25 AM' timestamp='1265860048' post='104107']

via livefist [http://livefist.blogspot.com/]



Image:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/S3MLWV6qObI/AAAAAAAAJWQ/kwFRChnawYE/s1600-h/agni5.jpg



I spent a few minutes interviewing Dr Avinash Chander, director of India's Agni missile programme (and Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory) on Wednesday evening. He is the country's most valuable rocket scientist today, but you wouldn't know it. Unassuming, quiet and supremely focused on his task, he's a man who has spent the last three years giving the Indian government options that it has never had before. And with the Agni-III strategic missile completing its testing stage and now ready for operational induction with India's Strategic Forces Command, it's time for the next big thing.



At this time next year, India will begin testing its longest range weapon yet, the newest in its Agni family of strategic ballistic missiles, named the Agni-V. According to DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat, the country's seniormost weapon scientist, "The Agni-V has moved out of the drawing board. We have crossed the metal cutting stage. We are now testing and evaluating subsystems and plan to conduct a first flight trial within a year."[/quote]

According to Dr Chander, the Agni-V will be 22-metres long and approximately 1-ton heavier than the Agni-III. The Agni-V's navigation system and warhead will be identical to the Agni-III, as will a great deal of subsystems, aggregates and electronics. The team has stated that 60 per cent of the first missile system is complete, while the remainder involves the crucial third stage of the missile. Dr Chander revealed today that the challenges that lied ahead include changes in the payload structure, introduction of extra heating and slight changes to the re-entry mechanism. The Agni-V will also be the first Indian missile with a composite rocket motor as opposed to a metallic one.

I the only way the second stage be added and the net weight increase is only 1 tonne is if one or more of the following are true for that configuration:

1. Both second and 3rd stage are new composite case motor. (I was frankly expecting the second stage to be same as before. Viz maraging steel case, and the 3rd stage be composite case)
2. Booster stage is shortened and similar to what one would expect for the submarine launched Agni variant.
3. Eliminate the cold gas reaction control on payload section

BTW the latest video of AGni-III launch shows that it was launched with the cold gas reaction control that was earlier seen, and characteristic of sub-surface launched missile.

"The problems we had with previous tests of the Agni-2 and Agni-III were not design defects but problems with quality assurance. We have rectified those problems and don't foresee any such hurdles on the Agni-V," Dr Chander said.

Hard way to learn the aftermath of weak quality assurance culture.

Clarifying that India did NOT have an independent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme, DRDO chief Dr Saraswat said, "The country's requirement right now is a missile with a range in the region of 5,000-km-plus. A missile with a range beyond this has not been identified as necessary for our strategic programme. However, we have the capability to build longer range missiles if the country calls upon us to do so. The building blocks are already in place."



Cocking a snook at the Chinese ballistic missile programme, Dr Chander told me, "I can say that our technology is maturer than theirs. And of course, there is no comparison at all with Pakistan. We are technologically way ahead of them. Of course, the Agni is our very own missile, not borrowed technology."

Let the maturity speak of itself by having adequate number of test flights. 4 test flights are too few to boast of maturity comparison w/China.

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Arun_S' date='11 February 2010 - 01:28 AM' timestamp='1265831415' post='104094']

Clearly shows the trajectory chosen had a range ~2500 km.



If they had also shown teh velocity of teh missile, that would have given away its secret on trajectory and maxium range (for teh unknown payload mass it was carrying).



Excellent !!

[/quote]



Also one would note very slight deviation from targeted trajectory as the missile gets near the apogee.



The range for this teat flight was definitely 2500 Km and not 3,500 km as reported. The video proves it.

[Arun_S]

Deleted ..... my contempt for some daktarr...

[Arun_S]

[url="http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article104821.ece?homepage=true"]‘We are ahead of Chinese in missile programme’[/url]

New Delhi, February 11, 2010, HINDU

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director V.K. Saraswat on Wednesday said that India's anti-ballistic missile defence programme is ahead of China's programme.



Mr. Saraswat said the country is also gearing to test its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield in near future, a programme, he claimed, is more sophisticated than the Chinese one.



“This is one area where we are senior to China,” he said when asked to compare Indian BMD programme with that of China, which carried out its first test-firing on January 14.



He said the Indian programme had started in 2006 and had 60-70 per cent indigenous content in it.



Mr. Saraswat said Indian BMD development programme would have two phases.



"In the first phase, which goes upto 2,000 km range, we will carry out exo-atmospheric, endo-atmospheric and high altitude interceptions and in the second phase, we will take care of targets beyond 5,000 km range."



On the dates of test of the BMD shield, he said it was expected to be carried out within this month.



He was addressing a press conference on the recent test firing of Agni-III missile, which has strike range of 3500 k.m. and is now ready for induction in the armed forces.



Nirbhay



India has completed the propulsion system design of its new cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ which will have a strike range of 800 kms, Mr. Saraswat has said.



“The development of the system is on. We have completed the propulsion system’s design. But we have not integrated it. Once we reach the integration stage, we will show it you,” he told reporters here last night.



Mr. Saraswat said the missile is a technology demonstrator.



India already has in its arsenal ‘BrahMos’, a 300-k.m. range cruise missile developed in collaboration with Russia. It has various versions for use by all the three wings of the armed forces.



Mr. Saraswat announced that Sunday's test of the Agni- III missile would clear the decks for the induction of the missile into the services.



The test, carried out by Strategic Forces Command sets the stage for the induction of nuclear-tipped missile.



China had only one missile in the 2500-km category, the DF-21 and was now focused only on building intercontinental range missiles (ICBMs) of the DF-31 and DF-41 in the 6000- 10,000 km range.



"But our accuracies are better than the Chinese missiles," Dr Saraswat said.



China, in January 2007, had displayed its anti-ballistic missile capabilities while knocking out a disused satellite in space. This was the world's first declared A-SAT test.



Earlier in January, the Chinese declared that they had successfully tested a ground-based mid-range anti ballistic missile.



"China only had the building blocks for an ATBM," Mr. Saraswat said.



"We started our ATBM programme in 1999 and in terms of capabilities, we are way ahead of them," he added.



Mr. Saraswat said India had perfected the building blocks for an A-SAT weapon but there were no plans to field any such system.

[url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/N-tipped-Agni-V-can-hit-all-of-China-Pak/articleshow/5558520.cms"]N-tipped Agni-V can hit all of China, Pak[/url]

Rajat Pandit, TNN, 11 February 2010, 04:05am IST, ToI

NEW DELHI: Brimming with confidence after last week's successful Agni-III test, India now hopes to test its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) within a year. This nuclear-capable Agni-V missile will be able to hit even northernmost China.



Moreover, in the backdrop of Beijing testing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons and ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems, DRDO chief V K Saraswat on Wednesday said India already had the 'building blocks' for ASAT weapons and was far ahead of China in the BMD arena.



DRDO, in fact, will conduct the fourth test of its two-tier BMD system, designed to track and destroy hostile missiles both inside (endo) and outside (exo) the earth's atmosphere, towards end-March/early-April. But all eyes are now on Agni-V, which with a range of over 5,000-km can arguably be called an ICBM, usually used to denote a missile capable of hitting targets over 5,500 km away.



Why is India not developing true-blue ICBMs, especially since Chinese missiles like Dong Feng-31A have a range of 11,200-km?



"We have the capability. But the missile's range and lethality is based on the immediate objective of threat mitigation. Agni-V suits our present requirements," said Saraswat.



Being designed by adding a third composite stage to the two-stage 3,500-km Agni-III, the [color="#800080"]17.5-metre tall Agni-V[/color] will be a canister-launch missile system to ensure it has the requisite operational flexibility to be swiftly transported and fired from anywhere. Consequently, if launched from near the Line of Actual Control, the solid-fuelled Agni-V will be able to hit China's northernmost city of Habin. Both Agni-III, which DRDO says is now 'mature' for induction, and Agni-V will add muscle to India's '[color="#800080"]dissuasive deterrence'[/color] [color="#ff0000"]{Arun_S: Why Indians only speak good sounding words to create deterrence?. Should first make deterrent weapons, not just vehicles; weapon consisting of "warheads and vehicles".}[/color] posture against China.



Moreover, DRDO is also developing MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) warheads for Agni missiles. An MIRV payload on a missile carries several nuclear warheads, which can be programmed to hit different targets. A flurry of such missiles can hence completely overwhelm BMD systems.



But unlike China, which fired a missile to bring down a satellite in January 2007, India will not test a 'real' ASAT weapon. "It will lead to debris in space. We can simulate a test on ground using an 'electronic' satellite. We have the building blocks for it," said Saraswat.



[color="#800080"]"Agni-III's propulsion system coupled with the BMD system's 'kill vehicle' will compose an ASAT weapon. The propulsion system is adequate to carry the ASAT warhead to 1,000-km altitude," said Saraswat.[/color]

[url="http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=%E2%80%98India+senior+to+Chinese+missile+programme%E2%80%99&artid=DkFNlaf9XTs=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SEO=Inter-Continental+Ballistic+Missiles+%28ICBM%29&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU="]



DRDO: Agni-V will be tested in a year[/url]

[url="http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/searchresult.aspx?AliasName=qK1tLBLX%7CpILczNiCZRSYEHJtp5ChTm2"]Express News Service[/url] First Published : 11 Feb 2010 03:17:00 AM IST Last Updated :

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday claimed that it has no plans to experiment with shooting down satellites even though it has the capacity to take on targets in outer space, said head of India’s defence scientists V K Saraswat, who also announced that country’s longest range missile, Agni-V, will be tested within a year.Fears of militarisation of outer space after China’s controversial test-shooting of a satellite in 2007 had only grown after India showed willingness to join the race. India’s top defence scientist said that the country has no programme actually to send a satellite killing missile in space and would rather carry out simulated experiments using electronic target instead of taking on a physical satellite.As he had done in the past, Saraswat claimed that the building blocks of the antisatellite system were in place and can be utilised as and when required. India’s tug of war with China over military applications of space was not limited to anti-satellite system, New Delhi is now entering the arena of developing missiles that can hit target beyond 5000 km. China has stolen the march on the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) front as it already taken the lead.India’s first ICBM – Agni V – is out of the design table and the scientists were expecting its first trial within a year. It would have a range of 5,000 km and would be India’s first three-stage missile. India has no plans to go beyond Agni-V at this point of time as the current arsenal of missiles would be sufficient to meet country’s strategic objective.“A-V is adequate for us in terms of range and lethality,” said DRDO chief signalling that the Agni series will not go beyond A-V.A brief description of the missile was shared by Saraswat and mission director Avinash Chander.Agni-V is a derivative of Agni-III that was successfully tried on February 7. “Sixty percent of Agni-V is Agni-III,” said Avinash Chander. The basic difference is that the Agni-V would be a three-stage missile but the warhead, payload and the yield of the two missiles would exactly be the same. [color="#9932cc"]In dimensions also the missiles are almost same except that Agni-V would be 0. 5 metres taller.[/color] [color="#ff0000"]{Arun_S: This is second report that mentions 17.5 m, so Livefist report of 22 meter from verbal chat w him is wrong} [/color] Agni-III is 17 metres long with two metre diameter.After three successful trials in a row, the 3500 km- ranged Agni-III was ready for induction, announced Saraswat. It is much faster than the other missiles which took much larger number of trials. The test on Sunday was carried out by Strategic Forces Command, handlers of India’s nuclear arsenal.The missile is comparable to China’s DongFeng-21 medium range ballistic missile.The scientists claimed that they have completely mastered the missile technology and it is a fully indigenous effort in which the local industry played critical role.

[ramana]

Based on AIII and AII we can make some informed guesses on the payload. The AII payload at ~1 tonne(RV with HAE etc) is most definitely a fission or boosted fission based. The AIII with its 1.5 tonne (RV with HAE etc) is a boosted fission one based on scaling. The fact that its ment for specific country is interesting. The payload has to be credible to that country. And the interesting thing is AIII was first tested in 2006 or design started ~ 5 to 6 years. So the GOI reconciled to the POKII yields early on while the world was debating the results. Another interesting factor is that A-V is to have same payload as the AIII per the quoted news reports. So no one is betting their hat on capability to design TN upto 200kt hogwash. It also means the target planners have come up with the requirements and not the scientists.



"If you overfeed on hope you will die of starvation."

[ramana]

Are they sticking to the 40m CEP for this test of A-III too?

meanwhile Pioneer reports

FRONT PAGE | Thursday, February 11, 2010 | Email | Print |





India to test-fire Agni-5 to counter China’s threat



PNS | New Delhi



In a major step towards countering the threat from China, India on Wednesday announced it would test-fire inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) Agni-5 next year.



With a range of 5000 kms and beyond, the missile can target most cities in China and Pakistan and carry a nuclear or conventional weapons system of 1.5 tonnes. In another major development in the arena of space warfare, India said it has acquired the capability to destroy an enemy military satellite system in space. It places the country in the elite league of nations including the US, China and Russia.



Disclosing this here on Wednesday, Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) VK Saraswat said the development of Agni-5 and anti-satellite capabilities came about after the successful conclusion of trials of Agni-3 missiles on Sunday last. He said the Agni-3 missile, capable of hitting a target at 3,500 km and carry weapon payload of 1.5 tonne, was now ready for induction into the Army. Incidentally, all the systems installed in the missile are indigenous and more than 150 Indian industries are involved in the development of the Agni series of missiles.



The public sector Bharat Dynamics Limited was manufacturing the missile and ‘we only need a specific number of missiles,’ Saraswat said during an interaction with the media. As regards Agni-5, he said the missile was ‘earlier on the design board stage. “Now we are testing and evaluating the sub systems and the first trial will take place within a year or so.” He said the technological capabilities developed during the Agni-3 testing gave the confidence to the scientists to go ahead with the Agni-5 programme.



Similarly, the Agni-3 launch showed that its propulsion systems could take the missile to an altitude of more than 1,000 km thereby enabling India to develop anti-satellite capabilities.



China had displayed to the world last year its capabilities in this sphere when it shot down a satellite in space. However, the DRDO chief said India ‘need not do it’ as it had the building blocks for developing such a system. Elaborating upon on this, Saraswat said “it is difficult to shoot down a satellite as its debris can be dangerous. Therefore, we can simulate this capability through an electronic satellite and we have the capacities to do so.”



When asked about the Agni-5 programme, he refrained from stating that India was going in for developing an ICBM. He said, “we are building a 5,000 km range missile and it is adequate for our strategic requirements. The stress is on range and lethality and there is no need to build missiles and store them. We have building blocks and as and when there is a requirement the missile can be manufactured.”



Commenting on the Agni-3 tests, he said, “now we have a mature strategic weapon system. It is a very potent deterrence.” He also said Agni-I and Agni-II were already inducted into the Army and it is rail mobile system. “It gives us the advantage of speedy deployment,” he said. Agni-I has 1,000 km range while Agni-II has 2,500 km range and both of them can carry conventional and nuclear pay loads, he informed.