The past decades have witnessed phenomenal surges in missile technology and intrusions into outer space. India, however did not have a credible missile programme by means of which it could boast of a sturdy arsenal of missile systems of that point. India's missile programme can be stated to be an offshoot of its space programme, beginning 1967. Subsequently, in 1972, Rohini- a 560 two-stage, solid propulsion sounding rocket was developed and test fired, capable of reaching an altitude of 334 km with a 100 kg payload. India first launched its small 17-tonne SLV-3 space booster (300km/40 kg) in 1979 and thereafter successfully injected the 35 kg Rohini I satellite into near-earth orbit in 1980. By 1987, an augmented booster, the 35-tonne ASLV (4,000 Km /150kg in low earth orbit), which primarily are three SLV-3's strapped together, had begun flight testing.
In what could be
described as a 'decisive shift' in missile development plans, the missile
capability of Indian armed forces received a major fillip from Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) following the launching of the Integrated
Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in 1983. The principal aim was to
develop a family of strategic and tactical guided missiles based on local
design and development for three defence services. DRDO accorded particular
priority to development of sophisticated guidance technology.
The
Indian missile arsenal boasts a range of systems and the current thrust areas
of the DRDO include Internal Ram Rocket Engines, Multi-target tracking
capability, Homing guidance using seeker and networking of radars.
Concurrently, the DRDO has consistently worked towards enhancing and upgrading
the following missile system further:
AGNI I:
The Agni missile is a family of Short to Intermediate
range ballistic missiles developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile
Development Program. Since then the SFC of the Indian Army has conducted
several user trials of Agni-I missile to test its readiness to launch ballistic
missiles that carry nuclear warheads. The recent user trials involved the test
firing of upgraded version of Agni-I with better re-entry technology,
maneuverability and range extension of up to 700–900 km. Agni-I was first tested at
the Interim Test Range in Chandipur in 1989, and is capable of carrying a
conventional payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or a nuclear warhead. Agni missiles
consist of one (short range) or two stages (intermediate range). These are rail
and road mobile and powered by solid propellants.
Agni-I is a single stage, solid fuel, road and rail
mobile, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). The need for the Agni-I was felt
after the Kargil war with Pakistan. It took DRDO 15 months to develop the
Agni-I after having completed Agni-II development. It is propelled by solid
fuel. Maneuvering RV body-lift aerodynamics give it the ability to correct
trajectory errors and reduce thermal stresses. The MRV has a velocity
correction package to correct launch trajectory variances. Some Agni RV
versions use a set of solid fueled thruster cartridges of predetermined
impulse, allowing the onboard guidance controller to trim velocity, using
discrete combination of impulse quanta along the desired spatial orientation.
The 15 metre tall Agni-1 missile, weighing about 12 tonnes, is capable of
carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads of 1,000 kg. With
reduced payload Agni I can reach 1200 km of maximum distance.
Agni
II:
Agni, is a strategic ballistic missile. The Agni missile
family is envisaged to be the mainstay of the Indian missile-based strategic
nuclear deterrence. The Agni-II is a medium range ballistic missile (MRBM) with
two solid fuel stages and a Post Boost Vehicle (PBV) integrated into the
missile's Re-entry Vehicle (RV). The Agni's manoeuvring RV is made of a
carbon-carbon composite material that is light and able to sustain high thermal
stresses of re-entry, in a variety of trajectories.
First
Stage: The Agni-II's first stage uses solid fuel propellant.
Second
Stage: The Agni-II's second stage weighs around 4,200 kg and
uses solid fuel propellant. The case is presumably made of the same material,
(high-strength 15CDV6 steel) as the booster stage for ease of manufacturing. This
solid propellant stage has flex nozzles for thrust vectoring, enabling precise
trajectory control. Unlike the Agni-TD, the solid fuel second stage does not
require retro motors for proper stage separation. It uses a vented inter-stage.
The Agni-II was first tested on 11 April 1999 at 9:47 am
IST (Indian Standard Time), from a converted rail carriage, with a carriage
roof that slides open to allow the missile to be raised to the vertical for
launch by two large hydraulic pistons. The launch process is controlled from a
separate railcar. The missile was launched from the IC-4 pad at Wheeler Island,
Balasore. Splash down was 2,000 – 2,100 km. down range in the Bay of Bengal, on
a trajectory designed to simulate a range of 2,800 – 3,000 km. The Agni-II
missile can also be launched from a road TEL vehicle, as demonstrated in the
second test flight on 17 January 2001, at 10:01 am IST (Indian Standard Time)
to a range of 2,100 km. This missile has a theoretical maximum range of some
3,000 km with a 1,000 kg payload (conventional or strategic).
Tested to range of over 2,000 km, the Agni-II has an
all-solid propellant system. After the 17 January test, the missile was cleared
for production and it is possible that a production capacity (under-utilised at
present) exists for 12 Agni-II missiles per year. On 17 January test, the
missile was alleged to have covered a range of over 2,100 km with a 700 kg
warhead. The Agni-II is designed to be launched from a rail-mobile launcher,
but it is also available in road-mobile configuration. This lends flexibility
and reduces vulnerability to first strike.
AGNI
III:
Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile
developed by India as the successor to Agni-II. It has a range of 3,500 km- 5,000
km, and is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighboring countries. The
missile’s Circular error probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes
it the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missile of its range class in
the world. In June 2011, it was reported that Agni-III has been inducted into
the armed forces and is under-production.
The Agni-III has two stages with an overall diameter of
2.0 m. The first stage mass is about 32 tonnes and 7.7 m long, the second stage
mass is about 10 tonnes and 3.3 m long. The missile is likely to support a wide
range of warhead configurations, with a 4,500 km range and a total payload
weight of 2490 kg.
The stubby two-stage solid fuel missile is compact and
small enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment on various surface/sub-surfaThe
Agni-III features two solid fuelled stages and with overall diameter of 2.0
meters. This diameter is compatible with a recently tested Indian sub-surface
launch system, which has a 2.3 meter diameter launch tube aperture.
First
stage booster
The first stage booster is made of advanced carbon
composite materials to provide high payload fraction (mass fraction). It weighs
about 32 tonnes, is 7.7 meters long and diameter of 2 meter.
Second
stage
The second stage made of maraging steel weighing about 11
tonnes and a length of 3.3 meters. The second stage has flex nozzles, to
provide necessary flight trajectory controlled platforms.
The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation,
guidance and control systems along with advanced on-board computer systems. The
electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration, thermal and acoustic
effects. A high performance indigenous ring laser gyro-based navigation system
was flight-tested for the first time during the Agni-III trial on 7th Feb 2010.
AGNI
IV:
Agni-IV is the fourth in the Agni series of missiles
which was earlier known as Agni II prime. This missile is one of its kind,
proving many new technologies for the first time, and represents a quantum leap
in terms of missile technology. The missile is lighter in weight and has two
stages of solid propulsion and a payload with re-entry heat shield.
On 15 November 2011, for the first time, Agni-IV was
successfully test fired. The missile was launched from a road mobile launcher
at 9AM from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa. The missile followed its
trajectory, attained a height of about 900 km and reached the pre-designated
target in international waters of the Bay of Bengal. All mission objectives
were fully met. All systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering
re-entry temperatures of more than 3000⁰C. The
missile was successfully test-fired again on September 19, 2012 for its full
range of 4,000 km from the Wheeler Island, off the Orissa coast. The missile
lifted off from a road mobile launcher at 11.48 a.m. and after zooming to an
altitude of over 800 km, it re-entered the atmosphere and impacted near the
pre-designated target in the Indian Ocean with remarkable degree of accuracy
following a 20-minute flight. Carrying a payload of explosives weighing a
tonne, the missile re-entered the atmosphere and withstood searing temperatures
of more than 3,000°C.
AGNI
V:
Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed
by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. It is
part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile systems under the
original Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. According to DRDO
chief, the exact range of Agni V is "classified" but afterwards he
described Agni V as a missile with a range of 5,500-5,800 km. The Agni-V is a three stage
solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the second and third
stage. In many aspects, the Agni-5 carries forward the Agni-3 pedigree. With
composites used extensively to reduce weight, and a third stage added on (the
Agni-3 was a two-stage missile), the Agni-5 can fly significantly more to
inter-continental range.
Total flight duration for the first flight test of Agni-V
on 29 April 2012 was for 1130 seconds. The first stage ignited for 90 seconds.
AGNI
VI:
Agni-VI is an intercontinental ballistic missile being
developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the
use of the Indian Armed Forces.
Agni-VI
is an intercontinental ballistic missile reported to be in very rudimentary
stages of development by DRDO.It is reported to be the latest and most advanced
version among the Agni missiles. Capable of being launched from submarines or
from land, it will be able to strike a target at a distance of 8,000–10,000 km
with up to 10 MIRVed warheads.
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