Agni-IV Set for 1st User Trial BALASORE: After the success of three consecutive developmental tests, India is readying to carry out first user trial of surface-to-surface nuclear tipped intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) Agni-IV from a defence base off the Odishacoast early next week.Defence sources said preparation was on in full swing at the Wheeler Island test facility for the scheduled test likely to be conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army on December 2. This is the second test of the missile in one year. Earlier, the missile wassuccessfully test fired from the same test range on January 20.The trial is aimed at gauging the performance of its subsystems and checking the readiness of the armed forces to launch the missile on its own. The mission team, sources said, is working minutely and meticulously to achieve success with high accuracy.This indigenously developed state-of-the-art missile, the fourth in the Agni series of missiles, has completed all developmentaltrials successfully and is the most advanced long-range ballistic missile capable of being launched within minutes from a self-contained road mobile launcher.Having a strike range of 4,000 km, the two-stage solid propelled missile’s length is around 20 metres and it weighs around 17 tonnes. It can be launched from both rail and road mobile launchers, which gives it more flexibility and wide range of operational success.Defence sources said Agni-IV is a modified version of the Agni-II strategic missile and was originally called Agni-II Prime whose test on December 10, 2010 had failed. The previous tests of Agni-IV were successful.While Agni-II Prime had a strike range of 2,750 km having the capability of carrying 1000 kg payload, Agni-IV has a designed range of 4,000 km and can carry upto one tonne warhead with re-entry heat shield.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 08:54:08 +0000
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