India successfully test fires Agni III missile

In its Golden Jubilee year, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a golden launch of Agni-III Missile system

New Delhi:  In its Golden Jubilee year, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a golden launch of Agni-III Missile system to a Range of 3000 kilometre at 9:56 am today from the Wheeler Island, about 12 kilometre from Dhamra off Orissa Coast. The launch propelled India into a select group of countries with IRBM (Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile) capabilities and added yet another dimension to the national deterrence.

Agni-III missile is a two stage solid propellant system with a length 17 metres, diameter of 2 metres and launch weight of 50 tonnes, carries a payload of 1.5 tonnes. The Missile re-enters into the atmosphere with a very high velocity and experiences a deceleration of more than 35 g and a temperature of more than 2500o C. The payload is protected by Carbon-Carbon all composite heat shield. The A3 is Rail Mobile System and is capable of being launched from any where in India

After the launch the missile reached the pre-designated target in a time of 800 seconds, travelling through a peak height of 350 kilometre with a velocity of more than 4000 meters/second. Two Indian Naval Ships positioned near the target location South of equator, have confirmed the impact of the Missile. This is the third flight test in the series of Agni-III, which was carried out to establish the repeatability of Missile performance.

The Missile system is equipped with sophisticated Navigation, Guidance and Control systems along with advanced distributed architecture based On-Board-Computer-Systems. The electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration, thermal and acoustic effects. A high performance indigenous Ring Laser Gyro based Navigation System is flight tested for the first time in Agni Missile Systems.

This was the third test of the missile, which scientists say has the capability of hitting strategic targets like Beijing and Shanghai deep inside China. The complete Integration and launch activities are carried out under the leadership of AGNI Programme Director, Avinash Chander, who declared the Agni-III flight test a complete success and met all the mission objectives. He also said that, with this flight, the developmental flights of Agni-III are complete and the system is ready for induction.  

The successful launch of Agni-III was witnessed by M Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister; Sundaram Krishnan, Advisor to Defence Minister; Shekhar Dutt, Deputy National Security Advisor; V K Saraswat, Chief Controller (R&D) and other senior officials of the Forces.

Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated the Mission Director and all the scientists of DRDO for the successful launch of Agni-III.

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