Army conducts successful test of 3,000-km Agni-III ballistic missile
16 Apr 2015
India today successfully test fired the Agni-III ballistic missile, which has a strike range of more than 3,000 km, from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.
The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile was launched by the personnel of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) at 9.52 am, from a mobile launcher at launch complex-4 of the ITR complex, defence sources said.
Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 km, in today's test, it was tested for a lower range, sources said, adding that the test-firing was part of a regular user trial.
The missile for the test was randomly picked from a production lot to test the various parameters of the auto-launch system and, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation, the missile met all the mission objectives.
After the command for auto-launch was given, the 17-meter, two-stage solid-propelled missile took off on a flight of 1,200 seconds and hit a pre-designated target area in the Bay of Bengal with accuracy.
The various parameters and trajectory of missile and monitor were tracked in real time by radars along the east coast, and by the telemetry and electro-optical systems. Two down-range ships near the impact point recorded the terminal event.
Agni-III is one of the sophisticated and accurate missiles of its class and has already been inducted into armed forces. It is capable of carrying a payload weighing 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000 km.
Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of 3,500 km-5,000 km, and is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries.
The missile's circular error probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missile of its range class in the world. Agni-III was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011.
