Agni-I (

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

''"Fire"'') is a

medium-range ballistic missile A medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is a type of ballistic missile with medium range, this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, a medium-range missile is defined by ...

that was developed by

DRDO The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...

of India in the

Integrated Guided Missile Development Program The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles. The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development ...

. It is a single-stage missile that was developed after the

Kargil War The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...

to fill the gap between the range of the Prithvi-II missile and the range of the

Agni-II Agni-II ( IAST: Agni, ), is the second strategic ballistic missile of Agni (missile) family envisaged to be the mainstay of the Indian missile-based strategic nuclear deterrence. The Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with two ...

. It was first launched from a road mobile launcher at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Wheeler Island, on 25 January 2002. Less than 75 launchers are deployed.

History and development

Agni-I was first tested at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur at 7:17AM on 22 May 1989, and is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or a

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

warhead. Agni missiles consist of one (short range) or two

stages Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * S ...

(intermediate range). These are rail and road mobile and powered by solid

propellant A propellant (or propellent) is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or other motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicles, the e ...

s. The Agni I has a range of 700–1,200 km. They are claimed to be a part of the "

Minimum credible deterrence Credible minimum deterrence is the principle on which India's nuclear strategy is based. It underlines no first use (NFU) with an assured second strike capability and falls under minimal deterrence, as opposed to mutually assured destruction. Ind ...

". Agni-I is a single stage,

solid fuel Solid fuel refers to various forms of solid material that can be burnt to release energy, providing heat and light through the process of combustion. Solid fuels can be contrasted with liquid fuels and gaseous fuels. Common examples of solid fuels ...

, road and rail mobile,

Short-range ballistic missile A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of about or less. In past and potential regional conflicts, these missiles have been and would be used because of the short distances between some countries and their relat ...

(SRBM). The need for the Agni-I was felt after the

Kargil war The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...

with Pakistan. It took

15 months to develop the Agni-I after having completed

development. It is propelled by solid fuel. Maneuvering RV body-lift aerodynamics give it the ability to correct trajectory errors and reduce thermal stresses. The MRV has a velocity correction package to correct launch trajectory variances. Some Agni RV versions use a set of solid fueled thruster cartridges of predetermined impulse, allowing the onboard guidance controller to trim velocity, using discrete combination of impulse quanta along the desired spatial orientation. The 15 metre tall Agni-I missile, weighing about 12 tonnes, is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads of 1,000 kg.

Replacement

is now developing an upgraded two stage variant called Agni-1P by borrowing the newer technologies from

Agni-IV Agni-IV ("Fire") is the fourth in the Agni series of missiles which was earlier known as ''Agni II prime''. It has been developed by India's DRDO and displayed a number of new technologies and significant improvement in missile technology. Th ...

and

Agni-V Agni-V is a nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation RDOof India. The missile is believed to have a range of around 5,000 to 5,500 kilometers. Scientists and experts say ...

platform to increase accuracy and reliability. On 28 June 2021, DRDO successfully test fired Agni-1P from

Abdul Kalam island __NOTOC__ Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, is an island off the coast of Odisha, India, approximately east of the state capital Bhubaneswar. The island was originally named after English commandant Lieutenant Hugh Whee ...

. This is a two-stage solid fuel missile that can be stored in canister and transported through road and rail. It is a new class of missile in Agni Series launched by DRDO which is half the weight of

Agni-III The Agni-III (IAST: Agni, ) is an Indian intermediate-range ballistic missile inducted into service in 2011 as the successor of the Agni-II. It has a range of and can reach targets deep inside neighbouring countries including China. Introduct ...

and carries newly developed guidance package and population system covering a distance of 1000–2000 km.

Operational history

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

regularly conducts user trials of the missile mainly to train the user team to launch the missile. The tests are normally conducted by the Strategic Naval Base Command (SFC) of the Indian Army with logistic support from

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...

(DRDO). Such User trials were carried out multiple times since 2018, with the first one being on October 5, 2007, from Wheelers' Island and the latest one being on November 27, 2015. Another successful user trial was conducted on March 14, 2016, from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island. Multiple successful user trials of the missile have been conducted on 22 November 2016 and 6 February 2018 by the

Strategic Forces Command The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weap ...

Operators

Agni-I is used by the 334 Missile Group at Secunderabad, under the

(SFC) of the

References

External links