Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
Agni-5 Ballistic Missile Successfully Test-Fired: Details, Features, Highlights
Agni-5 Ballistic Missile Successfully Test-Fired: Details, Features, Background, Highlights
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 12th December 2018, carried the successfully test-fire of a nuclear-capable surface to surface Agni-5 ballistic missile.
It was user associated trial of missile undertaken by strategic force command along with DRDO scientists.
The Agni-5 missile was launched with help of mobile launcher from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal. During this trial, the flight performance of the missile was tracked and monitored by radars, tracking instruments and observation stations.
It was the seventh trial of the indigenously-developed surface-to-surface missile. The first test was conducted in April 2012, second in September 2013, third in January 2015 and fourth in December 2016. The fifth test was held January 2018 and seventh was held in June 2018. All the trials were successful.
Features
The Agni-5 ballistic missile is a three-stage solid propellant nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is about 17 meters long, 2 meters wide and has a launch weight of around 50 tonnes.
The Agni-5 ballistic missile is the latest and most advanced variant in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine in Agni series of missiles. It has a strike range of over 5,000 kilometers and can carry a nuclear warhead of 1.5 tonnes. Thus, it can hit most northern parts of China and other parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Unlike other missiles of Agni series, Agni-5 is the most advanced missile having new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.
The Agni-5 ballistic missile is also a fire and forgets missile, which once fired cannot be stopped, except by interceptor missile which only US, Russia and Israel have.
