| Agni-I | |
|---|---|
| Type | Medium Range Ballistic Missile |
| Place of origin | India |
| Service history | |
| In service | (Tests by DRDO) 25 January 2002,[1] (Tests by SSC) 28 Mar 2010[2][3] |
| Used by | Indian Army |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) |
| Unit cost | 250-350 million (INR) or $ 5.6-7.9 million (USD)[4] |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 12,000 kg[5][3][6] |
| Length | 15 m[5][3][6] |
| Diameter | 1.0 m[5][6] |
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| Warhead | Strategic nuclear (15 KT to 250 KT), conventional HE-unitary, penetration, sub-munitions, incendiary or fuel air explosives |
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| Engine | Single Stage |
| Operational range |
700-900 km [5][3] |
| Flight ceiling | 370 km[6] |
| Flight altitude | > 90 km |
| Speed | 2.5 km/s (Agni-I)[5] |
| Guidance system |
Ring Laser Gyro- INS (Inertial Navigation System), optionally augmented by GPS terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation |
| Launch platform |
8 x 8 Tatra TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) Rail Mobile Launcher |
The Agni missile (Sanskrit: अग्नि, Agnī "Fire") is a family of Short to Intermediate range ballistic missiles developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.On 28 Mar 2010,the trial was conducted with a special Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile, with a range of 700kilometers from the Wheelers Island off Orissa coast thus making Agni-I missile operational by army.[2] 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.[7][8] The recent user trials involved the test firing of upgraded version of Agni-I with better re-entry technology, manoeuvrability and range extension of up to 700–900 km.[5][9]
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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.
The Agni I has a range of 700–900 km[5] while the Agni-II as a range of 2,000–3,000 km. They are claimed to be a part of the "Minimum Credible deterrence".
Agni-I is a single stage, solid fuel, road and rail mobile, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). This shorter ranger missile specially designed for targets in Pakistan. The need for the Agni-I was felt after the Kargil war with Pakistan. It took DRDO 18 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.[5][6]
On October 5, 2007, a nuclear-capable Agni I was test fired from Wheelers' Island, a defense base in the Bay of Bengal on Orissa coast at Bhadrak, Orissa; and again on March 23, 2008 from the same site.[3][10][5]
On 25 Nov 2010 another user trial of Agni-I missile was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Indian Army wherein the indigenously developed surface-to-surface single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was test fired from a rail mobile launcher at about 1010 hours from launch pad-4 of the ITR, 100 km off the Orissa coast.[8] This user trial involved the test firing of upgraded version of Agni-I with better re-entry technology, manoeuvrability and range extension of up to 700–900 km.[5][11]
Agni 1 was successfully test fired as a part of a training exercise on 1 December 2011 from the Orissa coast.[12]The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Army, as part of their training exercise, executed the trial with logistic support provided by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at the ITR.[7] The Agni-I was fired from a road-mobile launcher (specially designed truck), at 9.30 a.m. and covered its targeted range in 600 seconds of flight. The missile reached its targeted area in the Bay of Bengal with full accuracy.[7]
Agni-I is used by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Indian Army.[7][3][5]
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