Agni-V
Type	Intercontinental ballistic missile
Place of origin	India
Service history
In service	Under development (Design completed)
Used by	Indian Army
Production history
Manufacturer	Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
Unit cost	Rs 250-350 million (INR) or $ 5.6-7.9 million (USD)[1]
Specifications
Engine	Three stage
Operational range	5000-6000 km
Launch platform	8 x 8 Tatra TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) & Rail Mobile Launcher (canisterized missile package[2])

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Agni-V is an intermediate/intercontinental ballistic missile in development by India.

^[3]

[edit] Introduction

According to one of the country's top defence scientists, Dr M Natrajan, DRDO scientists are working on an upgraded version of the Agni III known as the Agni-V (Earlier known as Agni-III* (Agni-III star) and Agni-IV).^[4] The missile will have a range of about 5000-6000 km and the first test flight is expected in 2010 end.^[5][6] According to the recent news, Agni V can hit most of the northern cities of china.

[edit] Description

The Agni-V is a three stage solid fueled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage.^[7] Two stages of this missile will be made of composite material.^[8] Agni-V will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against Anti-ballistic missile systems.^[9]

The design of the missile is completed and the first test is expected in 2010. The missile will utilize a canister and will be launched from it. Sixty percent of the missile will be similar to the Agni-III missile. Advanced technologies like ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer will be used in the new missile.^[10]

The Agni-5 will be the first canisterised, road-mobile missile in India's arsenal, similar to the Dongfeng-31A that created ripples during China's National Day Military Parade in Beijing on October 1. India's current long-range missile, the Agni-3, a non-canisterised missile, can only be moved with difficulty from one place to another.^[11]

In many other respects, the Agni-5, which is scheduled to make its first flight in early-2011, carries forward the Agni-3 pedigree. With composites used extensively to reduce weight, and a third stage added on (the Agni-3 was a two-stage missile), the Agni-5 can fly 1,500 km further than the 3,500-km Agni-3.^[11]

"The Agni-5 is specially tailored for road-mobility," explains Avinash Chander, Director, ASL. "With the canister having been successfully developed, all India's future land-based strategic missiles will be canisterised as well".^[11]

Made of maraging steel, a canister must provide a hermitically sealed atmosphere that preserves the missile for years. During firing, the canister must absorb enormous stresses when a thrust of 300to 400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50-tonne missile.^[11]

Another major technological breakthrough that will beef up the Agni-5 is ASL's success in developing and testing MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). An MIRV, atop an Agni-5 missile, comprises three to 10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a separate target, separated by hundreds of kilometres; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target.^[11]

[edit] References