India is set to induct a new ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads up to 2,000 km away, with the defence ministry on Thursday announcing that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a crucial pre-induction launch of the Agni Prime missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast a day earlier.
ABOUT AGNI PRIME
- Agni-P or Agni-Prime is a medium-range ballistic missile being developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a successor for Agni-I and Agni-II missiles in the operational service of Strategic Forces Command.
- It is made with significant upgrades in the form of composite motor casing, maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) along with improved propellants, navigation and guidance systems.
- Agni-P is a two-stage, surface to surface, road mobile and solid-fueled MRBM which is transported by a truck and launched via a canister.
- It is a ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system. It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of ballistic missile.
- The 'Agni Prime', or 'Agni-P', is a nuclear-capable new-gen advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles; it is a two-stage canisterised missile with a maximum range of 2,000 km.
- Significantly, it weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems. In addition, since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, be stored for longer periods and can be transported as per operational requirements
OTHER VARIANTS OF AGNI MISSILE
The other variants of the Agni missiles developed by DRDO include the 700-km Pakistan-specific Agni-I, 2,000-km range Agni-II, 3,000-km range Agni-III, 4,000-km range Agni-IV and the 5,000-km range Agni-V missile. The Agni missiles form the backbone of India’s nuclear deterrence.
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