The Hindu : Front Page : Agni-II test-fired

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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Agni-II test-fired

Y. Mallikarjun

Army launches it from a rail mobile system

HYDERABAD: As part of the training exercise, the Army on Tuesday test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile from Dhamra’s Wheeler Island, off the Orissa Coast.

DRDO sources told The Hindu that the complete operations, including the pre-launch exercise and the launch from a sophisticated computer, were carried out by an Army team.

The missile, which was picked randomly from one of the production lots, was launched from a rail mobile system around 10.05 a.m and tracked by all the radars of the Integrated Test Range located along the coast at Balasore, Dhamra, Paradeep and Konark till its splashdown into the sea after a 10-minute flight.

Data relating to various parameters of the mission’s objectives was being analysed, the sources added.

A new technology — a state-of-the-art high accuracy navigation system — was for the first time used in Agni-II.

Specifications

The indigenously-built weapon is a two-stage solid propelled ballistic missile and has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and length of 20 metres.

It can carry a payload of one tonne over a distance of 2,000 km. The missile was already inducted into the services and the strategic command network was fully operational during Tuesday’s launch.

Agni-II was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratories and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. Private industry participated in a big way in its production. The missile is part of the Agni series which includes Agni-I of 700 km range and Agni-III (3,500 km). Agni-I was already inducted and Agni-III is in the process of induction.

The test-fire was witnessed by the top brass of the Army and the DRDO.

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