Table of Contents
IMPORTANT FOR UPSC MAINS
• Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
•India is in the process of inducting the first batch of its intercontinental ballistic missile system—Agni-V—which will bring targets across China within its range, and is expected to significantly bolster the country’s military prowess.
•The missile system, with a strike range of 5,000km and capable of carrying nuclear warhead, are being inducted into the elite Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
• Recently, Agni-V was successfully test-fired off the Odisha coast – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island [Wheeler Island]. and people familiar with the matter said a number of other pre-induction
tests are being planned in the next few weeks.
• The missile is being inducted at a time when India’s neighborhood is witnessing evolving security threats. Very few countries including the US, China, Russia, France and North Korea have intercontinental ballistic missiles.
TESTS??
• The first test of Agni-5 was conducted on 19 April 2012, the second on 15 September 2013, the third on 31 January 2015 and the fourth on 26 December 2016. The fifth test was held on 18
January.
• The fifth test of the missile was successfully conducted on January 18, 2018. This was the third consecutive canister test of the missile on a road-mobile launcher and the first in its final
operational configuration. The missile covered a distance of 4,900 km in 19 minutes.
• All the five trials were successful.
BASICS
In its armoury, India currently has Agni-1 with 700km range, Agni-2 with a 2,000km range,
Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500km to more than 3,500km range.
AGNI 5’S RANGE
Though Agni 5 is said to have a range of 5,000 kms, its range has been a contentious issue. Even India initially did not divulge the exact range of the missile, but later DRDO hinted that it has the capability to reach 5,000 kms.
Chinese experts say that the missile actually has the potential to reach targets 8,000 kilometers
AGNI-5 BALLISTIC MISSILE
• The Agni-5 is three-stage solid propellant nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile
• It is about 17 metres long, 2 metres wide and has a launch weight of around 50 tonnes. It has strike range of over 5,000 kilometres and can carry nuclear warhead of more than one tonne. Thus, it can hit most northern parts of China and other parts of Asia, Europe and Africa.
(Like Agni, even Trident has 3 stages and propelled by solid fuel. Trident weighs 59 tons, is 13.5 meters long and has a diameter of 2.1 meters.) Trident is 12,000 kms while the Agni V is ‘5000’ kms.
CAN AGNI BE STOPPED?
It is also a fire and forget missile, which once fired cannot be stopped, except by interceptor
missile which only US, Russia and Israel have. Interceptor missiles are not 100% safe.
PRECISION
The navigation systems- very-high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation
System and the modern and highly accurate Micro Navigation System ensured
that the missile reached within a few metres of the target.
SURYA MISSILE ?
Operational range ~10,000-16,000 km. This report has not been confirmed by any
other sources until 2010. Officials of the Indian government have repeatedly denied
the existence of the project.
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