India tests nuclear capable Agni-II plus missile
India tests nuclear capable Agni-II plus missile
India on Friday conducted a test of its nuclear capable surface- to-surface Agni II plus missile - a modified version of the Agni II strategic missile - from integrated Test Range (ITR) off Orissa coast.
The missile, which has the capability to hit targets 2,500 to 3,000 km away, was tested from a facility off the Orissa coast in the presence of senior defence officials, sources said.
"The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a rail mobile launcher from the launch pad-4 of ITR," defence sources said after the launch took place around 1000 hours. Agni II plus is an intermediary between the Agni-II and the Agni-III missiles.
"Outcome of the trial will be known after data relating to various parameters of mission's objectives are retrieved and analysed from different telemetry and tracking stations as well as naval ships positioned near the terminal point," they said.
The missile, developed by the Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation(DRDO), was supposed to be flight-tested on Thursday but it was postponed due to inclement weather and rains caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.
The success of this maiden flight test of a complete nuclear-capable missile, also known as Agni-II prime or A-2, developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), will set a new chapter in the India's missile programme.
According to Director General of DRDO V K Saraswat, the new missile would have a higher range, higher performance with respect to the thrust and weight ratio than Agni-II missile .
The Agni-II Prime will be an improvement in terms of accuracy, distance and strength. "The launch preparations are on," an official says. "This is part of DRDO's extended campaign in December as we have scheduled some more launches."
The A2 will be most likely test-fired for the first time on Dec. 8. "The dates might [slip], but the launch is [certainly] soon," the official says.
In addition to the ability to carry extra fuel, the A2 will have a new motor in its re-entry vehicle for better maneuverability and increased range, a flex nozzle in the second stage to avoid anti-ballistic missile defenses and an improved navigation system.
India first tested the Agni-II on April 11, 1999 from Wheeler Island, about 100 kms from here. After its second flight test on January 17, 2001, the two-stage solid propellant missile was cleared for production. On May 19, 2009, Indian Army conducted user trial of Agni-II. However, it ended in failure.
In a subsequent trial, conducted on the night on November 24, 2009, the missile once again failed. After two successive failures, the flight test by the Indian Armycarried out on May 17, 2010, was a success.
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