Agni-III Ballistic Missile
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Agni-III (
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
:
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 ...
, ) is an Indian
intermediate-range ballistic missile An intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000–5,500 km (1,864–3,418 miles), between a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Classifying ba ...
inducted into service in 2011 as the successor 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 has a range of and can reach targets deep inside neighbouring countries including
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.


Introduction

India's
credible minimum 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 ...
envisaged a
nuclear triad A nuclear triad is a three-pronged military force structure that consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. Specifically, these components are land-based ...
of counter-strike capability which required a long-range missile to provide robust
second strike In nuclear strategy, a retaliatory strike or second-strike capability is a country's assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker. To have such an ability (and to convince an opponent of it ...
capability. India developed a larger missile, with a heavier payload and longer range in a compact configuration. Driven by the need for retaliation to defeat emerging
anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (missile defense). Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear weapon, nuclear, Chemical weapon, chemical, Bioagent, biological, or conventiona ...
(ABM) defence and countermeasures, this capability requires a compact missile which can carry ABM payloads and weapons in a configuration similar to a
MIRV A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is an exoatmospheric ballistic missile payload containing several warheads, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The concept is almost invariably associated with in ...
.


Description

The Agni-III was developed as the successor to 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 ...
. Designed by the
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), Agni-III is a two-stage
ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
capable of
nuclear weapons delivery Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a nuclear weapon at the position of detonation, on or near its target. Several methods have been developed to carry out this task. ''Strategic'' nuclear weapons are used primari ...
. DRDO formed a separate propulsion plant in September 2001 to develop large-sized
solid-propellant rocket A solid-propellant rocket or solid rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses Rocket propellant#Solid chemical propellants, solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer). The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were u ...
engines, including the infrastructure for propellant casting. The stubby, two-stage solid-fuel missile is compact enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment on a number of surface and sub-surface platforms. The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation, guidance and control systems and advanced on-board computer systems. The electronic systems are designed to withstand greater vibration, heat and noise. A high-performance, indigenous
ring laser gyro A ring laser gyroscope (RLG) consists of a ring laser having two independent counter-propagating resonant modes over the same path; the difference in phase is used to detect rotation. It operates on the principle of the Sagnac effect which shifts ...
-based
inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (dire ...
was flight-tested for the first time on 7 Feb 2010. The two stages of Agni-III has an overall diameter of . Initially, The mass of first-stage is about 32 tonnes and long, and 10 tonnes and long for second stage. The missile was expected to support a wide range of
warhead A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: * Explosiv ...
configurations, with a range and a total payload weight of . The ground support system and launcher are developed by
Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE(E) or R&DE(Engrs)) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Pune, Maharashtra, India. its primary function is development of mobility equipment ...
. The
circular error probable In the military science of ballistics, circular error probable (CEP) (also circular error probability or circle of equal probability) is a measure of a weapon system's precision. It is defined as the radius of a circle, centered on the mean, wh ...
(CEP) of Agni-III is within . The
US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
's
National Air and Space Intelligence Center The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing military intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, ca ...
estimated that in June 2017, fewer than 10 launchers had been deployed.


Propulsion

The Agni-III has two solid-fuelled stages and an overall diameter of , compatible with an Indian sub-surface launch system which has a launch-tube aperture.Pontoon underwater launching platforms for Project K-15. Image DRDO
-> The first-stage booster weighs around 32
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
and is made of advanced carbon-composite materials to provide high payload fraction (mass fraction). It is long; the second stage weighs around 11 tonne, made of
maraging steel Maraging steels (a portmanteau of "martensitic" and "aging") are steels that are known for possessing superior strength and toughness without losing ductility. ''Aging'' refers to the extended heat-treatment process. These steels are a special clas ...
, is long and has vectoring nozzles for flight-trajectory control.


Flight tests

The first test of the Agni-III was conducted on
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 ...
(then known as Wheeler Island), near the
Bhadrak Bhadrak is a city of Odisha state in eastern India. The city is the district headquarters of Bhadrak district. According to legend, the city derives its name from the Goddess Bhadrakali, whose temple is on the banks of the Salandi River. His ...
coast, on 9 July 2006. The launch was unsuccessful; the missile fell into the sea off the coast of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
, short of the target. According to the
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 ...
, the failure was due to a first-stage anomaly of recirculating hot gases which entered the missile-base shroud and damaged electronic components. Indian Defence Minister
Pranab Mukherjee Dr. Pranab Mukherjee (11 December 193531 August 2020) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the India ...
called it a "partial success" (a euphemism indicating that the test generated useful data for diagnosis and correction), since the missile was air-borne for five minutes instead of the expected 15. Agni-III was successfully test-fired on 12 April 2007 from Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha. India's
Cabinet Committee on Security The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of the Government of India discusses, debates and is the final decision-making body on senior appointments in the national security apparatus, defence policy and expenditure, and generally all matters of Ind ...
announced, "This test confirms the extent of India's nuclear reach and India's
nuclear deterrence Deterrence theory refers to the scholarship and practice of how threats or limited force by one party can convince another party to refrain from initiating some other course of action. The topic gained increased prominence as a military strategy ...
as the missile can accurately hit targets at distance more than 3000 km away". The Agni-III is the most powerful and capable of India's missile inventory; capable of carrying a variety of warheads (including nuclear warheads), it can be launched from a number of platforms and extends India's regional
power projection Power projection (or force projection or strength projection), in international relations, is the capacity of a state to deploy and sustain forces outside its territory. The ability of a state to project its power into an area may serve as an e ...
. The missile was again test-fired successfully on 7 May 2008. After a flight of about 15 minutes, defence scientists confirmed that the test was successful and the missile met all requirements. With a velocity of 5,000 meters per second, the Agni-III has a range of ; new navigation software will increase the missile's accuracy and lethality. The successful 2008 test opened the door for the next-generation Indian ICBM Agni V, with a range. The Agni-III's development test was postponed for unknown reasons in August 2009. It was again tested successfully on Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on 7 February 2010. The missile hit the target accurately (witnessed by two ships near the target), and met all mission objectives. Supporting a range of warhead configurations, the Agni-III has a total payload weight of . The two-stage, solid-fuel missile is small enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment from a number of surface and sub-surface platforms. The test validated its nuclear-triggering mechanism, indicating that the Agni-III is intended for strategic nuclear deterrence. The test launch was part of the missile's pre-induction into the
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- ...
. India's defence minister announced in August of that year that the Agni-III was ready for induction into the country's armed forces, and its induction was reported in June 2011. In September 2012, it was reported that a missile group of Agni-IIIs was being raised. On 21 September of that year, 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 ...
successfully test-fired an Agni III missile from a rail mobile launcher. The missile was again successfully tested on 23 December 2013, on 16 April 2015, and on 27 April 2017. On 30 November 2019, the missile's first night trial was conducted. The test reportedly failed, with the missile beginning to diverge from its planned flight trajectory after and mission control aborting the flight. A manufacturing defect was thought to be a possible cause of the failure.


References


External links


CSIS Missile Threat - Agni 3Bharat-Rakshak Home
* ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqkmDUOiFCs Video of Agni-III test {{DEFAULTSORT:Agni-Iii Ballistic missiles of India Intermediate-range ballistic missiles Military equipment introduced in the 2010s de:Agni III