Preparations are on in full swing at the Wheelers Island off the Odisha coast for a series of tests of the three variants of the Agni Missiles. This will include testing India’s longest range ballistic missile Agni-5 which is termed as an ICBM Missile.
Prior to the first development trial of the Agni-5 missile, the DRDO has planned to conduct tests of the 700-km range Agni-1 and the 2000-km range Agni-2 missile.
India is attempting to test it’s first Inter Continental ballistic Missile and scientists are leaving no stone unturned for a 100% successful mission. The series of tests will all be conducted between April 18 and April 25.
The DRDO is excited for the three stage A-5 missile as its successful launch would propel India to join the elite league of nations like the US, the UK, China, France and Russia, which have inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
The 17-metre tall missile with a diametre of two metres, weighs around 50 tonnes.
It can carry a nuclear warhead weighing nearly 1,000 kg and also carries multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MITRV) capable of delivering multiple warheads at different targets at long distances.
Agni-5 is a cannister launched solid-fuelled ballistic missile and would help bolster India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities against China which has an arsenal armed with missiles like the 11,200-km range Dong Feng-31A which is capable of hitting any Indian city.
Programme Director of Agni missiles and Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Avinash Chander said the exact dates of the tests have not been finalised yet. “The tests would be conducted one after another once the integration process is complete and range is ready,” he added.