Agni-V

Agni-V is a solid fueled intercontinental ballistic missile under development by DRDO of India. It will greatly expand India's reach to strike targets up to 6,000 km away. Missile tests are expected to begin in February 2012. ^[7]

Introduction

Dr M Natrajan, a senior defense scientist of India, disclosed in 2007 that DRDO is working on an upgraded version of the Agni III known as the Agni-V (Earlier known as Agni-III* and Agni-IV) and that it will be ready in 4 years.^[8] The missile will have a range of about 5000 km. In September 2010, DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat confirmed that the first test flight will be conducted in 2012.^[9] The missile will be tested for the first time in first-quarter of 2012.

The armed forces are already inducting the two-stage 3,500-km Agni-III after completion of its developmental and pre-induction trials last year, having earlier operationalised the Agni-I (700-km) and Agni-II (over 2,000-km) missiles.

For one, it will be quite easy to store and swiftly transport the 17.5-metre tall Agni-V by road since it's a canister-launch missile system, unlike the earlier Agni missiles.^[4]

For another, Agni-V would also carry MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) payloads being concurrently developed. A single MIRVed missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets.

"We have tested the three (solid-propellant composite rocket motor) stages of Agni-V independently...all ground tests are now over. The integration process is now in progress. We want to test the missile in December, not let it spill over to 2012," DRDO chief V K Saraswat told TOI on Friday.

This came after defence minister A K Antony, addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony, asked defense scientists to "demonstrate" the 6,000-km missile's capability "at the earliest".^[4]

With a "launch mass" of around 50 tonne and a development cost of over Rs 2,500 crore, Agni-V will incorporate advanced technologies involving ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer for navigation and guidance. It takes its first stage from Agni-III, with a modified second stage and a miniaturized third stage to ensure it can fly to distances of 5,000 km.

DRDO is also gearing up for another test of its two-tier BMD (ballistic missile defence) system, designed to track and destroy hostile missiles both inside (endo) and outside (exo) the earth's atmosphere, around this August with a new interceptor missile called PDV to add to the existing ones.^[10]

Description

Propulsion

The Agni-V is a three stage solid fueled missile with composite motor casing in the 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 1,500 km further than the 3,500 km range Agni-III.^[11][12] Two stages of this missile will be made of composite material.^[13] Advanced technologies like ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer will be used in the new missile.^[14] "You can reduce the payload and (further) increase the range of Agni-V" Saraswat told the Reuters in Feb 2010.^[15]

Mobility

"The Agni-5 is specially tailored for road-mobility," explains Avinash Chander, Director, ASL. "With the canister having been successfully developed, all India's future land-based strategic missiles will be canisterised as well".^[11] The missile will utilize a canister and will be launched from it. Made of maraging steel, a canister must provide a hermitically 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-tonne missile.^[11]

MIRVs

Agni-V will, in future, feature Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) with each missile being capable of carrying 3-10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a different target, separated by hundreds of kilometres; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target.^[11] MIRVs ensure a credible second strike capability even with few missiles.

Testing

In 2009, DRDO claimed that the Agni 5 would be tested in 2010.^[16][17] In February 2010, DRDO chief VK Saraswat said that the Agni 5 would be tested within an year.^[18] An year later, in June 2011, speaking on the sidelines of the annual DRDO award function in New Delhi, DRDO chief VK Saraswat clarified that, "Agni-V missile would be ready for test by the end of this year, probably in December." ^[19] This comment came after the Indian Defence minister A. K. Antony, addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony, asked defence scientists to "demonstrate" the 5,000-km missile's capability "at the earliest". Avinash Chander, Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems) stated on 7 October 2011 that all sub-systems of Agni 5 had been tested.^[20] However, on October 22, 2011, the DRDO stated that the demo of the missile would take place only in February 2012.^[21]

Agni-V SLBM

There have been reports that a submarine launched version of the Agni 5 is being worked on. However some experts have raised questions about the utility of such a design for the contemporary requirements of the Indian Navy, calling the reports nothing but "myths".^[22]

Reaction

The People's Daily,the official mouthpiece of the CCP(Chinese Communist Party) said that:- "Indian officials and scientists claimed that their Agni-V missile is the 'killer' for a certain country, which obviously shows the intention of seeking regional balance of power". The article said that it was one of India's effort to maintain a regional balance and its ambitions to become a major player in the world. It said that such long range missiles can be seen as a threat to China and that India should increase it's cooperation with it's neighbors instead of being "hostile".

References

External links

• 3D Model Video of Agni-V
• [2]