NEW DELHI: India carried out a successful flight test of its new generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile ‘Agni Prime’ on Wednesday. It was done by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. During the test, all objectives were successfully demonstrated.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement said, “Range instrumentation like radar, telemetry and electro-optical tracking systems were deployed at different locations, including two down-range ships, at the terminal point to capture flight data covering the entire trajectory of the vehicle.”
This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile, validating the accuracy and reliability of the system, added the MoD.
The test flights are significant steps towards the operationalisation of the new weapons system.
The Agni P is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant nuclear-capable ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
The assembly of missiles into canister mode assists with quick deployment, storage and mobility.
It has a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km and is an advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.
The Agni series of missiles is a product of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Project (IGMDP) launched by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in 1982. The further development of the Agni series of missiles has continued to achieve enhanced ranges, mobility and maintainability. This series includes Agni-1(700 km range), Agni-2(2000 km range), Agni-3 (2500 km range), Agni-4 (3500km range) and Agni-5 capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres.
As stated often by the Ministry of Defence, the development of the missiles “is in line with India’s stated policy to have 'credible minimum deterrence' that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.”
Senior officials from the DRDO and Strategic Forces Command witnessed the successful flight-test, which paved the way for the induction of the system into the Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated the DRDO and Armed Forces for the success of the test. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman, DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also appreciated the efforts put in by the teams of DRDO laboratories and the users involved in the test launch.