Strategic forces successfully test-fire Agni-II missile off Orissa coast

Nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile, with a strike range of 2000 kms, was today successfully test-fired during a user trial by the strategic forces from the Wheelers Island off the Orissa coast.

The success came after two launches of the surface-to-surface Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) failed to meet mission objectives last year.

"The trial of the missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) was successful and met all parameters and mission objectives," ITR Director SP Dash said.

The 20-metre-long Agni-II, which can carry a 1,000 kg payload, was launched at around 0915 hours from a rail mobile system in Launch Complex-4 of ITR. The 17-tonne missile, a two-stage, solid fuel weapon system, has already been inducted into the services.

Shortly after the launch, defence minister AK Antony congratulated the DRDO and its scientists for the successful trial of the nuclear-capable missile.

Antony also spoke to DRDO chief VK Saraswat over phone, a defence ministry spokesperson said here. Saraswat and Agni Programme Director Avinash Chander were present at the Wheelers Island during the test-firing.

The launch was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) with logistic support from laboratories and personnel of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

"With this launch, the strategic Forces have carried out launch of all three versions of the Agni within three months demonstrating their capability," the spokesperson said.

While 700 km range Agni-I has already been inducted into the armed forces, Agni-III, having a range of 3500 km, is still in the process of induction.

The trajectory of the missile was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships stationed near the impact point in the Bay of Bengal, defence sources said, adding that the data generated during the test-firing was being analysed.

The launch followed two earlier user trials on May 19, 2009 and the night of November 23, 2009 which could not meet all mission parameters.

DRDO's Chief Controller W Selvamurthy said the two failures last year were not due to any design defect but because of a malfunctioning part.

On the development of 5000 km Agni-V, he said the scientists were working on it. "We are hopeful that within a year we should be able to launch the missile," he said, noting that the new missile will have one additional stage as compared to Agni-III.

A DRDO scientist said today's launch was a training exercise to familiarise the end-users with different operational conditions.

Agni-II was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. The first trial of Agni-II was carried out on April 11, 1999.

Asked about the contribution of the forces, Selvamurthy said, "It has been great. I should say that because they have carried out the whole mission themselves (today). The mission objectives were set by them. It (the missile) was also operationalised as well as monitored by the Strategic Force
Command."

On Agni-III, he said, the missile "has completed all the trials that we have to carry out and now it has to be readied for induction."