The Indian Army has planned to conduct flight tests of two Agni variant
missiles from the missile testing range off the Orissa coast in the next
45 days. These tests are aimed at gauging the effectiveness of the
weapons and their performance in real time situation. Defence sources
said the missiles to be testfired are 700km range Agni-I and 2,000km
range Agni-II.
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), a contingent specially
raised to carry out the user specific tests of the missiles developed
by DRDO, will conduct the tests. Both the missiles have been inducted in
the Army.The missiles will be launched from the launching complexIV of
the Integrated Test Range (ITR) with the logistic support from the DRDO
scientists and technical officers. While AgniII has been planned to be
tested in the last week of August, the test of AgniI is scheduled for
third week of September.
A defence official said as the missiles have
been handed over to the Army for its use during the time of crisis, the
military personnel through these userspecific trials get to know how to
use the weapon and its capability. Preparation for the tests will soon
start at the LCIV in the Wheeler's Island off the Dhamra coast in
Bhadrak district. After both the trials, the DRDO has planned to go
for the maiden test of 5,000 km range AgniV missile, considered India's
first InterContinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Though the missile
which has the capability to reach most of the Chinese cities is ready
for test, the DRDO is reportedly waiting for the State Government's nod.
AgniI missile weighs around 12 tonnes and can carry both conventional
and nuclear payload of about 1,000 kg. It is powered by both solid and
liquid propellants, which imparts it a speed of 2.5 km a second. The
missile can blast off from both road and rail mobile
launchers.Similarly, AgniII missile is about 21 metres tall having a
diameter of one metre and weighs 17 tonnes. It can carry a payload (both
conventional and nuclear) of around one tonne. The twostage
solidpropelled AgniII is one of the key weapon systems of the country's
nuclear deterrence doctrine.
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