The test-firing of the 3500-km range Agni-III has paved the way for the country to produce intercontinental range ballistic missiles.
NEW DELHI: The test-firing of the 3500-km range Agni-III has paved the way for the country to produce intercontinental range ballistic missiles and provided it a robust second strike nuclear capability, defence scientists said.
The launch of the Agni-III by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by using all solid fuel propellant systems signalled that India has achieved complete indigenous capability and self-reliance in this field, they said.
This will increase accuracy and marginalise failure rates in the launch of the surface-to-surface missiles, DRDO sources said.
The missile can be deployed using rail or road mobile launch vehicles, and has an inertial guidance system with improved optical or radar terminal phase correlation capability to guide it accurately to its target.
DRDO sources said this gives the Agni-III a high degree of accuracy with a medium to large nuclear payload, most likely a 200-300 kilotonne warhead.
The Agni-III will provide a robust second strike capability as, according to nuclear experts, this missile system can be disbursed far and wide in the mainland, far- flung islands or on blue water naval assets spread across the world's oceans.
The ability to reach all corners of a potential challenger requires a missile range of between 4,000 and 8,000 km and according to the experts, the country is reportedly developing a longer range missile with a heavier payload, but in a compact configuration with a thicker and shorter length.
They said its development is driven by the need for a more assured retaliation that can defeat emerging anti- ballistic missile (ABM) defences and counter-measures.
Such capability requires a compact missile that can also carry ABM counter-measures along with a warhead, in a configuration similar to MIRV, albeit with state-of-the-art decoys.
According to DRDO sources, the Agni-III features two solid fuelled stages with overall diameter of 1.8 meters. This diameter is compatible with the recently tested sub-surface launch system.
The missile's first stage booster is made of advanced carbon composite materials to provide high mass fraction.
It weighs about 24 tonnes and has a length of seven meters. The initial stage propulsion (ISP) is comparable to similar large solid motors of ISRO.
The second stage is also made of advanced carbon composite materials weighing around eight tonnes with a length of 2.5 meters. It incorporates flex nozzles to provide necessary flight controls.
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