First tested in November 2011, the 17-tonne Agni-IV incorporates several new technologies in navigation, propulsion, avionics and other areas.
NEW DELHI: India on Monday test-fired its second-most ambitious nuclear missile in the making, the new-generation Agni-IV with a strike range of 4,000 km, and promptly declared it was ready for induction. The over 5,000 km Agni-V missile, in turn, will be tested for the third time later this year.
Both the missiles are geared towards providing the country with some much-needed credible strategic deterrence against China, which can target any Indian city with its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) like the 11,200 km range Dong Feng-31A.
"This third consecutively successful trial of Agni-IV, the last of its development launches, is very significant. It takes India's level of strategic deterrence, its preparedness and effectiveness to newer heights," DRDO chief Avinash Chander told TOI.
Chander said the two-stage Agni-IV missile was tested from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast in its "actual weapon configuration", in which it will be delivered to the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The almost one-tonne warhead was not nuclear.
Chander said the "production line" for Agni-IV should kick into operation towards end-2014 or early-2015. "There will be two or three user trials. The missile's induction into the SFC can begin simultaneously," he said.
The tri-Service SFC, created in January 2003 to manage the country's nuclear arsenal, already has the different Prithvi variants (250 to 350 km), Agni-I (700 km), Agni-II (2,000 km) and Agni-III (3,000 km) in its inventory.
"Together, the rail-mobile Agni-III and the road-mobile Agni-IV will give our armed forces the requisite operational flexibility to tackle a wide range of scenarios and cover all vital points of strategic interests," said Chander.
DRDO is also gearing up for testing the three-stage Agni-V in a "canister version" in the "second-half of this year" after June. The armed forces will be able to swiftly transport and fire the missile, when stored in a hermetically-sealed canister mounted on a launcher truck, from anywhere they want.
"We want all future strategic missiles to be canister-launch ones," said Chander, who had earlier described Agni-V as "a true ICBM". An ICBM usually signifies a missile with a range of over 5,500 km, and is largely brandished by countries like the US, Russia, China, France and UK.
First tested in November 2011, the 17-tonne Agni-IV incorporates several new technologies in navigation, propulsion, avionics and other areas. "It can correct and guide itself during in-flight disturbances. In Monday's test, the missile's highly accurate ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system (RINS) and supported by very reliable redundant micro-navigation system (MINGS), ensured it hit the designated target within two-digit accuracy," said a scientist.
Though Agni-IV was tested from a road-mobile launcher for a range over 3,000 km on Monday, it can easily go up to 4,000 km. "It took off majestically, rose to a height over 850 km and covered the range in around 20 minutes," he said.
"The re-entry shield withstood temperatures of 4,000 degree centigrade and made sure the avionics function normally with the inside temperature remaining less than 50 degree centigrade," he added.
Source :http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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