Posts tagged ‘Agni-II’

09/08/2012

* Agni-II successfully test-fired

the Hindu: “India successfully test-fired nuclear weapons capable strategic ballistic missile, Agni-II, for its full range of more than 2,000 km from Wheeler Island off the Odisha Coast on Thursday.

The launch was carried out by Strategic Force Command personnel from a mobile launcher. The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, which carried a dummy payload of 1,000 kg, was fired at 8.46 a.m. from a rail mobile launcher. Agni-II has already been inducted into the services and belongs to the group of Agni class of strategic missiles which form the bulwark of India”s nuclear deterrence policy.

Top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials told The Hindu from Wheeler Island that the two-stage solid-propelled missile followed a text-book trajectory and zeroed in on to a pre-determined target point in the Bay of Bengal with a single to two digit accuracy after a 700-second flight.

They said the re-entry systems worked well and all other systems functioned perfectly.The electro-optical systems and telemetry stations tracked and monitored the missile’s flight path. Two ships stationed in the vicinity of the target point witnessed the terminal event.

The SFC personnel conducted the trial as part of regular user exercise. Agni-II is 20 metres long and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead weighing one ton.

It was the third success in a row for Agni variants following the launch of Agni-V in April and Agni-1 recently.”

via The Hindu : News / National : Agni-II successfully test-fired.

18/04/2012

* India to test fire long-range missile

BBC News: “India is due to test fire a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The locally-developed Agni-V missile has a range of more than 5,000km 3,100 miles and is expected to be launched in the eastern state of Orissa.

Visual description of the approximate range of...

Visual description of the approximate range of the (Indian) Agni ballistic missile series. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Analysts say the Agni meaning “fire” in Hindi and Sanskrit missile family is to be the cornerstone of Indias missile-based nuclear deterrent. The missiles are among India’s most sophisticated weapons. In 2010, India successfully test-fired Agni-II, an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of more than 2,000km 1,250 miles.

Defence analyst Rahul Bedi says the successful test flight of the Agni-V missile, which is capable of delivering a single 1.5-ton warhead deep inside nuclear rival China’s territory, will strengthen India’s nuclear deterrence once it comes into service by 2014-15. It is 17.5m-tall, solid-fuelled, has three stages and a launch weight of 50 tons. It has cost more than 2.5bn rupees $480m; £307m to develop.

Only China, Russia, France, the US, and Great Britain have such long-range missiles. Israel is thought to possess them.”

via BBC News – India to test fire long-range missile.

Let’s hope this doesn’t start a military space race between India and China. Both countries must surely haev better things to invest their money in than nuclear missiles!

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