New Delhi, Feb 10 (Inditop.com) With Agni-III all set for induction after three successful trials, India is gearing up to test its 5,000-km range Agni-V ballistic missile in a year’s time, a senior Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official said Wednesday.
The Agni-V has moved out of the drawing board and currently the technical evaluation of the sub-system is being carried out, DRDO chief and scientific advisor to defence minister V.K. Saraswat said.
“The first launch will be in an year’s time then couple of tests and then we can think of induction. We are confident that the building blocks (for the Agni-III missiles) are in fairly matured stage,” Saraswat told reporters here.
The three-stage missile will be similar to Agni-III in design and diameter, with its length five metres more than it.
“Agni-III design is frozen… Agni-V has crossed material cutting stage and subsystem testing is going on. Agni-V is derivative of Agni-III. Practically it is the same missile but it is five metres longer and one tonne heavier. Its navigation system is same.
“Sixty percent missile is available and we are just adding another stage. It will be a three-stage missile and it is the first time we will be building a three-stage missile,” Saraswat added.
Agni-III, with its range of 3,500 km, is ready for induction after successful trial conducted by the Strategic Forces Command Feb 7.
Programme director Avinash Chander said: “Agni-III has completed three successful trials. Now we can start doing the induction process. It is 100 percent indigenous with more than 80 percent coming from the industries.”
Saraswat said the technology of Agni-III is better than China.
“Agni-III technology-wise is better than China. Accuracy is better,” Saraswat added.
Both stages of Agni-III are powered by solid propellants. It is 17 metres long, has a diameter of two metres and a launch weight of 50 tonnes. It can carry payloads weighing 1.5 tonnes.
While the first flight of Agni-III July 9, 2006 failed, its second and third test flights April 12, 2007 and May 7, 2008 were successful.
