by : sakaal Times

Indian defence scientists have embarked on Project Agni-V to develop a long-range missile by the year 2010, which can strike targets over 5,000 km, programme director of Agni weapon systems, Avinash Chander said on Wednesday.

After the success of Agni-3, which is ready for induction, we have started working on Agni-5. It will be a three-stage, all composite, solid propellant fuelled and advanced version in the Agni class of ballistic missiles with a range of over 5,000 km. The development process has already begun and in the next two years, the weapon system should be ready, Chander said.

Though most of the systems for the Agni-5 will be from Agni-3, the new systems have to be scaled up. It will be a modified design and has to go through the entire process of development and testing.We have the technology ready with us. It will be availed from the already prepared Agni Class missiles I-III. However, the Agni-5 is going to be more powerful and have a greater range. For this the design of the missiles delivery system has to be modified to suit the requirements. But, since we have existing successful technology model readily available with us, the time taken to develop this new missile will be much lesser than before,he said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed Agni-I (700 km), Agni-II (2,000 km) and Agni-III (beyond 3,000 km), which can carry conventional and nuclear warheads. Agni-V is its latest project, which could be the final one in the series.

When India test-fires the 5,000-km range Agni-V in 2010, it will be one of the most sophisticated, smart and intelligent missiles of its class, featuring a host of new technologies, including measures to counter a ballistic missile threat.

This surface-to-surface missile, which will have the longest rangeof all Indian missiles, will form a crucial element of the country’s nuclear deterrence programme. With scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) deciding to make it a canister-launch weapon system, Agni-V is expected to provide a major tactical advantage as it can be launched from anywhere in the country.

Talking to The Hindu here, Avinash Chander, director of the Agni programme and of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) Avinash Chander, who is also the director of the Agni programme, said the design was completed and the first development flight test will be conducted in 2010. Two of the three stages of the solid-propellant missile will be made of composites, making it lighter. While 60 per cent of the sub-systems will be similar to those of the 3,500-km-range Agni-III, the rest will comprise new and advanced technologies like the ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer, which provide navigation and guidance. The gyroscope was developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), sister laboratory of ASL, and is part of DRDO’s missile complex here. This advanced technology was proved successfully in Agni-III and in the recent test-firing of Shourya, the tactical missile. Referring to ring laser gyroscope, G. Satish Reddy, director, navigation, observed “this technology is developed by very few countries and we are on a par with them now.�

Underlining the importance of canister-launch, Mr. Chander said all future Agni missions will have canister launch. Canister had nothing to do with silo or non-silo. V.G. Sekaran, associate director (programmes), ASL, said the Agni-V programme was on schedule. “We are in the development mode and qualification trial will follow.� All the sub-systems will be ground-tested till 2010.

source : The Hindu

It's good to see that the Agni 5 will be ready by 2010. Since it's going to be the last in the Agni-Series, the next one's will surely be the Surya series which everyone is expecting for such a long time.

the question that arises is is the agni -5 MIRV capable and i am sure its not then india must work hard to gain that technology as that will enhance its capabilities further.

I think it will have MIRV Capabilities.

Agni-5, India's latest long-range nuclear-capable missile under development, can target China's northernmost city of Harbin, a leading Chinese newspaper has claimed amid a slew of strident anti-India articles over the status of Arunachal Pradesh.

"India's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) has made its forthcoming Agni-5 missile highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road, which would bring Harbin, China's northernmost city within striking range if the Agni-5 is moved to northeast India," the People's Daily reported.

Harbin is the capital of China's Heilongjiang Province.

The paper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, noted that the Agni-5 which has a range of 5,000 km is similar to the Dongfeng-31A showcased during China's National Day Military Parade on October 1 in Beijing.

India is going to test-fire the missile in early 2011, the report claimed.

The report came two days after China raked up its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit there on October 3.

Reacting strongly to the Chinese objection to Singh's visit, India said the comments were disappointing as the state is an inalienable part of the country and such remarks do "not help" the process of talks on boundary issue.

A number of state-run Chinese papers have stepped up rhetoric against India on the boundary issue through their articles.

source : India Today

India's proposed Agni 5 missile launch in 2011, has put China in a tight spot. The Chinese are scared now.

I am grateful to Indian scientists for working so hard to develop these required Missiles. I pray that they develop the fastest, & deadliest long, long range missiles, so that 1st, China is covered totally, every corner of the country & then the others.DRDO and all these missile making bodies should concentrate of 10,000 KM range missile which will cover even the north eastern provinces of China. Just do this task and our all tensions about range covering of enemies will be over. India should have its deadly arsenal ready as deterrent !

The Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad, which develops India’s strategic (long-range, nuclear-tipped) missiles, has dramatically increased the options for its forthcoming Agni-5 missile by making it highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road.

That enables the Agni-5 to reach targets far beyond its stated 5,000-km range by quickly moving closer to the target. In a hypothetical war against, say, Sweden, an Agni-5 launcher, stationed near Bangalore, would be unable to strike Stockholm, 7,000 km away. But moving by road to Amritsar would bring Stockholm within range.

Similarly, moving the Agni-5 to northeast India would bring even Harbin, China’s northernmost city, within striking range. From various places across India, the Agni-5 can reach every continent except North and South America.

The Agni-5 will be the first canisterised, road-mobile missile in India’s arsenal, similar to the Dongfeng-31A that created ripples during China’s National Day Military Parade in Beijing on October 1. India’s current long-range missile, the Agni-3, a non-canisterised missile, can only be moved with difficulty from one place to another.

In many other respects, the Agni-5, which is scheduled to make its first flight in early-2011, 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 Agni-3.

“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”.

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 300to 400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50-tonne missile.

Canister technology was first developed in India for the Brahmos cruise missile. But it was the K-15 underwater-launched missile, developed here in Hyderabad for India’s nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, which fully overcame the technological hurdles in canisterising ballistic missiles.

Another major technological breakthrough that will beef up the Agni-5 is ASL’s success in developing and testing MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). An MIRV, atop an Agni-5 missile, comprises three to 10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a separate target, separated by hundreds of kilometres; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target.

“We have made major progress on the MIRVs in the last two years,” is all that Avinash Chander is willing to say on the subject.

Nevertheless, extensive testing still lies ahead for this highly complex technology. MIRVs will be deployed on the Agni-5 only after another 4-5 years.

While MIRV technology is similar to launching multiple satellites through a space rocket, a missile requires far greater accuracy. A satellite would be considered in correct orbit even it is a kilometre higher or lower than planned.

But each warhead in an MIRV must impact within 40 metres of its target. With such high accuracies, even small nuclear warheads are sufficient for the job.

Strategic planners consider MIRVs essential, given India’s declared “no first use” nuclear policy. Even after an enemy has hit India with a full-fledged nuclear strike, destroying or incapacitating much of the strategic arsenal, a handful of surviving Indian missiles must be capable of retaliating with massive and unacceptable damage. Multiple warheads on a handful of Agni-5 missiles would constitute such a capability.

MIRVs also enable a single missile to overwhelm the enemy’s missile defences. Tracking and shooting down multiple warheads are far more difficult than intercepting a single warhead.

Providing each warhead with the capability to manoeuvre, and dodge enemy interceptor missiles, increases survivability further. The MIRV warheads are also being given electronic packages for jamming enemy radars.

source : Business Standard

This is time to integrate Indian multi culture in India as well as outside India because china is making effort for electronic warfare we should make some strong effort to eliminate India internal problems and influx of some addict like mobile addict, sex addict etc so our youth can focus on there work seriously so then we get better scientist doctors and engineers at mass level not in few so that our country can be capable of mitigate any eventuality.

Good news that Agni-5 is ready to hit China - the new imperialist civilization rising in the East. Mao said: "East Is Red." East is indeed red with the blood of Tibetans and other ethnic groups killed by China. China is the rising imperialist power in the East. So we have to be ready to counter China. The Red Mullahs of India (Marxists) opposed the setting up of the firing range of the Chandipur-on-sea when it was set up. They knew that from Orissa China was within the range of the Indian rockets and missiles. So the traitors opposed it. But the government of India rightly ignored them and built up the firing range there. Congratulations to the patriots of India.

China annexes Tibet violates all international laws commits gross human right violation and yet gets the world to accept that Tibet is an integral part of China,so is the case with Taiwan and Uigur region.

Yet they have guts to comment on Sikkim, Arunachal and Kashmir were we conduct free and fare election, and what do our great leaders reply ?

I realy pity on our condition.

India today said it will test fire the over 5,000 km range nuclear-capable Agni-V surface to surface ballistic missile "within a year", enabling it to bring all the possible targets in China and Pakistan within its striking radius.

The test-firing of the Agni-V missile will also help India to join the elite club on nations with the capability to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), DRDO Chief V K Saraswat said here.

"Agni-V is a 5,000 km plus missile in the ICBM category and we are planning to carry out its first test within a year," he told reporters here.

Saraswat said, "After Agni III and Agni V, as far as cities in China and Pakistan are concerned, there will be no target that we want to hit but can't hit."

Comparing the Agni-III with Chinese 2,500 km range DF-21 and DF-25, Agni programme Director Avinash Chander said in terms of "accuracy and technology-wise", the indigenous missiles were better than the ones in the neighborhood.

Commenting on the Agni-V, the DRDO chief said the "missile was already out of the drawing boards."

"The first launch will be in an year's time then couple of tests and then we can think of induction. We are confident that the building blocks (for the Agni-III missiles) are in fairly matured stage," Saraswat told reporters here.

He said the missile would be capable of being launched from canisters, which will help it to be launched from multiple platforms.

With certain modifications, canister launchers enable ballistic missiles to be fired from ships and other moving platforms.

The three-stage missile will be similar to Agni-III in design and diameter, with its length five meters more than it.

"Agni-III design is frozen... Agni-V has crossed material cutting stage and subsystem testing is going on. Agni-V is derivative of Agni-III. Practically it is the same missile but it is five meters longer and one tonne heavier. Its navigation system is same.

"Sixty percent missile is available and we are just adding another stage. It will be a three-stage missile and it is the first time we will be building a three-stage missile," Saraswat added.

Programme director Avinash Chander said: "Agni-III has completed three successful trials. Now we can start doing the induction process. It is 100 percent indigenous with more than 80 percent coming from the industries."

Saraswat said the technology of Agni-III is better than China.

"Agni-III technology-wise is better than China. Accuracy is better," Saraswat added.

Both stages of Agni-III are powered by solid propellants. It is 17 metres long, has a diameter of two metres and a launch weight of 50 tonnes. It can carry payloads weighing 1.5 tonnes.

While the first flight of Agni-III July 9, 2006 failed, its second and third test flights April 12, 2007 and May 7, 2008 were successful.

source : Zee News

Originally Posted by Shatrujeet

"Agni-V is a 5,000 km plus missile in the ICBM category and we are planning to carry out its first test within a year," he told reporters here.

Forgive me for my naivety, however Agni V is not an ICBM.

To be deduced as an ICBM, a missile should have a range greater than 5,500 Kms or 3500 Miles, with either a single warhead or with MIRV capabilities. With a range of 5000 Kms, it is defined as an IRBM.

Having said that, if we decrease the payload, the range will automatically increase. And in this case can be called an ICBM.

But glad that we are close.

First Impressions of India's Nuclear Ballistic Missile Agni 5

India finally plans to test its most ambitious strategic missile Agni-5, with near intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, in December 2011 after some delay.

With high road mobility, fast-reaction ability and a strike range over 5,000 km, Agni5 Missile would even bring China's northernmost regions within its nuclear strike envelope if it is ever required.

The armed forces are already inducting the two-stage 3,500-km Agni3 after completion of its developmental and pre-induction trials last year, having earlier operationalized the Pakistan-specific Agni-1 (700-km) and Agni 2 (over 2,000-km) missiles.

The Agni 5, in turn, is meant to add some much-needed credible deterrence muscle against China, which has a massive nuclear arsenal with missiles like the 11,200-km Dong Feng-31A capable of hitting any Indian city.

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. If fired from the North-East, for instance, it would be able to hit China's northernmost city of Habin.

For another, Agni-5 would also carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles payloads being concurrently developed. A single MIRVed missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets even if they are separated by long distances.

"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 Indian defence minister A K Antony, addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony, asked Indian defence scientists to "Deliver" the 5,000-km missile's capability "at the earliest".

With a "launch mass" of around 50 tonne and a development cost of over Rs 2,500 crore, Agni-5 missile will incorporate advanced technologies involving ring laser gyroscope and accelerator for navigation and guidance. It takes its first stage from Agni-3, with a modified second stage and a miniaturized third stage to ensure it can fly to distances beyond 5,000 km.

An Inter Continental Ballistic Missile , incidentally, usually denotes a missile capable of hitting targets over 5,500 km away, and has largely been the preserve of the Big-5 countries till now.

DRDO is also gearing up for another test of its two-tier 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.

Indian Defence Minister Antony, on his part, said, "The interceptor missile development programme has taken India into an elite club of nations that possess the capability to demonstrate and deploy missile defence. DRDO should now also work towards developing a credible BMD for our country."

source : Finally, India to test its own ICBM Agni-V in December - The Times of India