Indian authorities believe that the solid-fuelled Agni-V is more than adequate to meet current threat perceptions and security concerns as it will bring the whole of Asia, including the northernmost parts of China, a large part of Europe and other regions, under its strike envelope

The Agni series of missiles are a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) being developed for the Indian defence forces. IGMDP was an initiative of the Ministry of Defence to indigenously develop strategic and tactical missiles to meet India’s requirements. The nodal agency to manage the programme was the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with other Indian Government laboratories and research centres.

Agni Missile Programme

The Agni missile programme is a series of medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) to intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by DRDO under the IGMDP. They are the land version of the nuclear triad and include Agni I to Agni V with ranges varying from 700 to 5,000 km.

Agni-IV was tested on November 15, 2011. The classification of ICBM has now been changed to long-range ballistic missile to convey that it is a defensive weapon as compared to ICBM which has different connotation.

Agni-V

The then Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, M. Natrajan had conveyed in 2007 that DRDO was working on an upgraded version of the Agni-III, known as the Agni-V and that it would be ready in four years. While addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony last year, Defence Minister A.K. Antony had asked DRDO scientists to demonstrate the 5,000-kilometre missile capability at the earliest opportunity. The preparation involved complex scheduling and logistical issues since the missile would be travelling halfway across the Indian Ocean. Countries like Indonesia and Australia as well as international air and maritime traffic in the test zone will have to be alerted well in advance. Tracking and monitoring systems along with DRDO scientists would have to be located on ships deployed in the Indian Ocean.

Launch

On April 19, 2012, at 8.07 a.m., the Agni-V was successfully test-fired by DRDO from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa, using a rail mobile launcher. The flight time lasted 20 minutes and the third stage fired the reentry vehicle into the atmosphere at an altitude of 100 km. The missile re-entry vehicle then reached its pre-designated target point more than 5,000 km away in the Indian Ocean. The exact range of Agni-V is classified and can reach a height of 600 km. As per the Director of the test range, all test parameters were met and Agni-V was able to hit the target nearly at pin-point accuracy. Agni-V is expected to be operational by 2015, after a couple of more tests carried out by the DRDO. It will be manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited and delivered to the Army.

Agni-V Parameters

Configuration: The configuration has a canister-launch missile system for easy transportation by road. The canister is made of maraging steels, which is a special class of low-carbon ultra-high-strength steels and possess superior strength and toughness without losing malleability. A canister must provide a hermetically sealed atmosphere that preserves the missile for years. During firing, the canister must absorb enormous stresses when a thrust of 300 to 400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50 tonnes missile.

Multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV): It would carry MIRV payloads which are also being developed. A single MIRV equipped missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets. With single warhead missiles, one missile can engage only one target but with MIRV warhead, a single missile can engage multiple targets across a large area. MIRV also reduces the effectiveness of an anti-ballistic missile system that relies on intercepting individual warheads. Two to ten MIRV per missile are expected. MIRV s ensure a credible second strike capability even with lesser missiles.

Weight and payload: Agni-V weighs 50 tonnes and carries a payload of 1,500 kg. It can be used to launch anti-satellite weapons and deploy small satellites.

Propellant: The Agni-V is a three stage solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the second and third stage (Agni-III was a two-stage missile), in which composites have been used extensively to reduce weight.

New Technologies: A number of new technologies were developed indigenously and successfully tested during the launch of Agni-V. They were the redundant navigation systems, which implies that there is adequate back up in the eventuality of the failure of the primary system; very high accuracy ring laser gyro (RLG) based inertial navigation system (RINS) and the most modern and accurate micro navigation system (MINS) ensured that the missile reach the target point within a few metres of accuracy. In a RLG laser, beams are directed around a closed path using mirrors rather than optical fibre. Unlike mechanical gyroscopes, optical gyros contain no moving parts and require only a few seconds to start-up. The high speed onboard computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus, guided the missile flawlessly.

After the successful launch of Agni-V, head of the DRDO, V.K. Saraswat said that India is all set to develop reusable rockets which will combine the technologies of both ballistic and cruise missiles and DRDO will test indigenously developed scram jet engine next year; we have propulsion technology, we have re-entry technologies, we have the technology which can take a re-entry system which will deliver a payload and have yet another re-entry system which will bring the missile back when it re-enters the atmosphere on its return journey; with the launch of Agni V, India has now joined the elite club of the US, UK, France, Russia and China.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated the DRDO by stating, “I congratulate all the scientific and technical personnel of the DRDO and other organisations who have worked tirelessly in our endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of our country.” A.K. Antony also congratulated the DRDO team.