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Long Range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, was successfully flight tested for its full range today at 0953 hrs from Dr Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. This was the fifth test of the Missile and the third consecutive one from a canister on a road mobile launcher. All the five missions have been successful.

Details

The flight performance of the missile was tracked and monitored by radars, range stations and tracking systems all through the mission. All objectives of the mission have been successfully met. This successful test of Agni-5 reaffirms the country’s indigenous missile capabilities and further strengthens our credible deterrence.

About Agni-V

• Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. Agni V is part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
• The DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat initially declined to disclose the exact range of Agni-V. Later, however, he described Agni V as a missile with a range of 5,500–5,800 km. The present range is expected to be around 5000km to 8000km, depending on the payload.
• Agni V is primarily for enhancing India’s nuclear deterrence against China and Pakistan.
• Agni V is a three stage solid fuel missile which can reach upto the speed of Mach 24 in its terminal phase.
• It is 17.5m in length, weighs 50 tonnes and can carry a 1 tonne payload.
• It is guided by a Ring laser gyroscope and inertial navigation system, optionally augmented by GPS/IRNSS. Terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation
• It can be easily transported anywhere by road or rail. It can be launched by an 8 × 8 Tatra TEL and rail mobile launcher.
• Agni-V would also carry MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) payloads being concurrently developed. A single MIRV equipped missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets.

Source

PIB, The Hindu