The Agni-III (IAST: Agni, Template:Lit) is an Indian intermediate-range ballistic missile inducted into service in 2011 as the successor of the Agni-II.[1] It has a range of Template:Convert and can reach targets deep inside neighbouring countries including China.[2][3]
Introduction
Template:Unreferenced section India's credible minimum deterrence envisaged a nuclear triad of counter-strike capability which required a long-range missile to provide robust second strike capability. India developed a larger missile, with a heavier payload and longer range in a compact configuration. Driven by the need for retaliation to defeat emerging anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defence and countermeasures, this capability requires a compact missile which can carry ABM payloads and weapons in a configuration similar to a MIRV.
Description
The Agni-III was developed as the successor to the Agni-II.[1] Designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni-III is a two-stage ballistic missile capable of nuclear weapons delivery. DRDO formed a separate propulsion plant in September 2001 to develop large-sized solid-propellant rocket engines, including the infrastructure for propellant casting. The stubby, two-stage solid-fuel missile is compact enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment on a number of surface and sub-surface platforms.[4]
The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation, guidance and control systems and advanced on-board computer systems. The electronic systems are designed to withstand greater vibration, heat and noise. A high-performance, indigenous ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system was flight-tested for the first time on 7 Feb 2010.[5]
The two stages of Agni-III has an overall diameter of Template:Convert. Initially, The mass of first-stage is about 32 tonnes and Template:Convert long, and 10 tonnes and Template:Convert long for second stage. The missile was expected to support a wide range of warhead configurations, with a Template:Convert range and a total payload weight of Template:Convert.[1] The ground support system and launcher are developed by Research & Development Establishment (Engineers).[6]
The circular error probable (CEP) of Agni-III is within Template:Convert.[7] The US Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center estimated that in June 2017, fewer than 10 launchers had been deployed.[8]
Propulsion
Template:Unreferenced section The Agni-III has two solid-fuelled stages and an overall diameter of Template:Convert, compatible with an Indian sub-surface launch system which has a Template:Convert launch-tube aperture. The first-stage booster weighs around 32 tonne and is made of advanced carbon-composite materials to provide high payload fraction (mass fraction). It is Template:Convert long; the second stage weighs around 11 tonne, made of maraging steel, is Template:Convert long and has vectoring nozzles for flight-trajectory control.[9]
Flight tests
The first test of the Agni-III was conducted on Abdul Kalam Island (then known as Wheeler Island), near the Bhadrak coast, on 9 July 2006.[1] The launch was unsuccessful; the missile fell into the sea off the coast of Odisha, short of the target. According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the failure was due to a first-stage anomaly of recirculating hot gases which entered the missile-base shroud and damaged electronic components.[10] Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee called it a "partial success" (a euphemism indicating that the test generated useful data for diagnosis and correction), since the missile was air-borne for five minutes instead of the expected 15.[11]
Agni-III was successfully test-fired on 12 April 2007 from Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha. India's Cabinet Committee on Security announced,[12] "This test confirms the extent of India's nuclear reach and India's nuclear deterrence as the missile can accurately hit targets at distance more than 3000 km away".[13] The Agni-III is the most powerful and capable of India's missile inventory; capable of carrying a variety of warheads (including nuclear warheads), it can be launched from a number of platforms and extends India's regional power projection.[14][15]
The missile was again test-fired successfully on 7 May 2008.[16] After a flight of about 15 minutes, defence scientists confirmed that the test was successful and the missile met all requirements. With a velocity of 5,000 meters per second, the Agni-III has a range of Template:Convert; new navigation software will increase the missile's accuracy and
lethality.[17] The successful 2008 test opened the door for the next-generation Indian ICBM Agni V, with a Template:Convert range.[18] The Agni-III's development test was postponed for unknown reasons in August 2009.Template:Cn
It was again tested successfully on Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on 7 February 2010. The missile hit the target accurately (witnessed by two ships near the target), and met all mission objectives.[19] Supporting a range of warhead configurations, the Agni-III has a total payload weight of Template:Convert.[20] The two-stage, solid-fuel missile is small enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment from a number of surface and sub-surface platforms. The test validated its nuclear-triggering mechanism, indicating that the Agni-III is intended for strategic nuclear deterrence.[20] The test launch was part of the missile's pre-induction into the Indian Army.[21]
India's defence minister announced in August of that year that the Agni-III was ready for induction into the country's armed forces,[22] and its induction was reported in June 2011.[23] In September 2012, it was reported that a missile group of Agni-IIIs was being raised.[24]
On 21 September of that year, the Strategic Forces Command successfully test-fired an Agni III missile from a rail mobile launcher.[25] The missile was again successfully tested on 23 December 2013,[26] on 16 April 2015,[27] and on 27 April 2017.[28][29]
On 30 November 2019, the missile's first night trial was conducted. The test reportedly failed, with the missile beginning to diverge from its planned flight trajectory after Template:Convert and mission control aborting the flight. A manufacturing defect was thought to be a possible cause of the failure.[30]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedexpressindia.com - ↑ Agni-3. MissileThreat. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
- ↑ Agni – India Missile Special Weapons Deilivery System. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ↑ New kid on the nuclear block. The Hindu(18 November 2011). Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ↑ Nuclear-capable Agni-III missile successfully tested. Rediff.com(7 February 2022). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- ↑ Ground Support System for Missile Programme. DRDO. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ↑ Successful Agni-III missile tests provide India with a credible deterrent, boost for DRDO. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- ↑ Template:Cite report
- ↑ Agni Ballistic Missile System. Army Technology. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ↑ Next objective: a 5,000-km Agni. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ↑ Indian missile test 'was failure'(10 July 2006).
- ↑ Agni test fired successfully. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
- ↑ Agni iii launched successfully. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
- ↑ AGNI – Strategic Ballistic Missile. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
- ↑ India's missile power lifts off – An U.S perspective on India's missile power, Washington, The(22 May 2008). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Agni-3 flight tested successfully for the third time. Frontierindia.net(7 May 2008). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Agni-III launch on May 7. The Hindu(5 May 2008). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Agni-III test-fired, can reach Beijing, Shanghai. The Times of India(8 May 2022). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- ↑ Fourth Test Flight of Long Range Missile AGNI-3 Successful. Pib.nic.in(7 February 2010). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 AGNI-III test-fired successfully. The Hindu(7 February 2010). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Indian Army ready to induct long range missile Agni-3. News.oneindia.in(7 February 2010). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Agni-III ready for induction: AK Antony – Sci/Tech – DNA(9 August 2010). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Sci-Tech / Science : India to test fire Agni-V by year-end. The Hindu(3 June 2011). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ↑ Military to buy DRDO missiles worth Rs 1 lakh cr in 10 yrs. Business Standard(4 September 2012).
- ↑ Agni-III test-fired successfully, Mallikarjun, Y.(21 September 2012).
- ↑ Agni-III test-fired by SFC personnel, Mallikarjun, Y.(23 December 2013).
- ↑ Agni-III successfully test fired from Odisha coast. The Economic Times(16 April 2015).
- ↑ India test-fires nuclear-capable Agni III ballistic missile. The Economic Times. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ↑ India successfully test fires nuclear capable Agni-III missile off Odisha coast. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ↑ Nuclear capable Agni-III missile fails in maiden night trial. The New Indian Express(2019-12-01). Retrieved 2019-12-01.
External links
- CSIS Missile Threat - Agni 3
- Bharat-Rakshak Home
- Bharat-Rakshak Missiles Section: AGNI – Strategic Ballistic Missile
- Video of Agni-III test
Template:Indian missiles Template:Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) de:Agni III