Second Agni-III test-2

[Victor]

The important things have been tested and validated—capability to launch in “extreme aero-thermal conditionsâ€

[Arun_S]

I have temporarilty move the old thread back to Military Issues & History Forum, so people can find it easier to see the flow.

Also would like to repost this from old thread.

Arun, I read through the articles you had written. They were pretty informative. But, I had a doubt regarding the payload. In your article you had mentioned that A-3 can carry upto 600-3960 kg of conventional load? So why is nuke payload restricted to 1.8 ton? Thanks in advance.

Conventional payload need more mass for the umfff thus a few tons mass mass. Nuke payload OTOH carries lots of umfff with just 400Kg mass, thus have to be on its own RV, RV packing is not very efficient thus fewer.

Also the Yindu mind is very fearful and dysfunctional, thus instead of administerings a knockout punch it will pull its punches and deliver only 3 RV, allow the enemy to live and come back again to kick Indian butts and enjoy its wealth & women. It is all factored in & designed into Agni specifications onleeee.

[sivab]

What are the chances of seeing 3 stage AIII test anytime in near future with current UPA/Commie govt. at helm? Till we have that 3-stage test P5 will try to put India in a bottle.

I believe Agni-3++ test is much sooner than most people expect.
Rejoice for Truth has spaken.

Thanks for the good news Arun. IMO strategically it will be as big an event as POK II.

[Arun_S]

I believe Agni-3++ test is much sooner than most people expect.
Rejoice for Truth has spaken.

Thanks for the good news Arun. IMO strategically it will be as big an event as POK II.

sivab: Sorry I was mocking my own words with that old englis istyle. Dont take it as gospel, am just freaking lucky and intelligent in listening to my gut feel. The sheep who follow me will be lost.

[Arun_S]

Regarding the A3-SL estimated drawing... where is the closed interstage?

because IMHO the current style interstage will be unacceptable.

[Suraj]

From TS Subramanian of The Hindu:
It is a perfect mission, says Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister

There is a lot about Agni III that makes India proud, not the least of them is the fact that it is India's own missile to the last nut and bolt.

The long-range missile's strength, according to the present and former DRDO top brass, was that it was totally indigenously developed.

M. Natarajan, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, who described Wednesday's Agni III flight as "a perfect mission," said: "It is a very significant success, particularly when the entire design, planning, material construction, execution and everything associated with the mission was indigenous. Such an effort is vital for the strategic system of our country." The series of successes in the last six months, including that of the Prithvi interceptor missile, the launch of Dhanush, the success of another strategic system and now the Agni III "signify that we are maturing in these difficult technologies," said Mr. Natarajan, who was present at the launch site. Unmindful of the maiden Agni III's failure last year, the DRDO scientists worked hard, analysed the failure from the telemetry of the previous mission, did a lot of reviews and took corrective action which led to this success, added Mr. Natarajan.

"Totally indigenous"

Prahlada, Chief Controller, R and D, DRDO (Services Interaction), said: "The strength of the mission was that the entire system was totally indigenously developed, the missile's hardware and software, instrumentation, tracking systems and so on." Dr. Prahlada called it "a great flight." It was a totally autonomous missile. Once it was launched, it did not depend on any command or signal from the ground. "It is an intelligent missile," added Dr. Prahlada, who witnessed the flight.

"Excellent flight"

Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace Limited, praised the total indigenous content of Agni III. "It was an excellent flight. It met all the mission requirements. We have reached a major milestone of realising the IRBM [intermediate range ballistic missile] capability beyond 3,000 km. A number of new technologies, including the re-entry technology for this class of missiles, have been tested. We are proud of the Agni III team," said Dr. Sivathanu Pillai.

BrahMos supersonic cruised missile had been inducted into the Navy and it would be soon given to the Army, he said.

K. Santhanam, former Chief Adviser to DRDO, commented, "We have chosen indigenous development for our growth. This is a robust way of building our minimum deterrent." Dr. Santhnam, who was former Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, called the Agni III success "maturing of our minimum, credible nuclear deterrent. The success of Agni III is an important milestone on the road to our achieving a credible nuclear deterrent."

In May 1998, India conducted five nuclear tests, which gave it confidence in terms of its nuclear weapons. However, a credible delivery system was needed to carry these weapons but an aircraft as a delivery system was vulnerable. Dr. Santhanam said: "So you need missiles, whether they are surface-to-surface missiles or submarine-launched missiles. A submarine-launched missile will be an effective deterrent because its survival capability is high compared to a land system. A missile launched from a silo will be a sitting duck. The vulnerability of a missile launched from land can be reduced by making it mobile, either road or rail mobile. To that extent, Agni III has this dispersal and mobility." Since Agni III's diameter was two metres, its thrust would be high, its range was more and it could carry heavier payloads with a larger volume. "To get into surface-to-surface missiles of long range class, you should have an engine of large diameter, be it powered by solid or liquid propellants. Worldover, the trend is to go for missiles fuelled by solid propellants because they have what is called QRA (quick reaction alert)," said Dr. Santhanam.

Those who witnessed the flight included Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, Vice- Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal B.N. Gokhale and Strategic Forces Commander Vice-Admiral Vijay Shankar.

The entire sequence of the Agni III's flight was tracked by radars at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea near Balasore, Orissa; the Outer Wheeler Island, Dhamra on the coast of Orissa; Port Blair and ships stationed at impact points in the Bay of Bengal. "All reported data reception and from this we can conclude that the mission met all its requirements," said DRDO officials.

Agni III is a product of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad. ASL is a unit of DRDO.

ASL Director Avinash Chander was the Programme Director of this mission. The Project Director was Dr. V.G. Sekharan.

The launch took place from the Outer Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal, nine km from a place called Dhamra on the Orissa coast or 70 km, as the crow flies from the ITR Chandipur-on-sea.

Agni III weighs 48.3 tonnes and stands 16.7 metres tall. The missile's diameter is two metres. It can carry nuclear warheads weighing one tonne. Its range is about 3,500 km and it can target many parts of China.

Former and present DRDO officials lauded the role of R.N. Agarwal, former ASL Director, in the Agni III development.

Arun_S Note: Dr Santhanam is quoted verbatim as stating 2m diameter .

[Arun_S]

Thanks Suraj.
TS Subramanian of The Hindu is one of the best & trustworthy reporter.

Agni III weighs 48.3 tonnes and stands 16.7 metres tall. The missile's diameter is two metres. It can carry nuclear warheads weighing one tonne. Its range is about 3,500 km and it can target many parts of China.

My estimatewas 16.3 meter he reports 16.7 meter . And he confirms 2 meter diameter. He also accurately reports 48.3 tonne weight.

[sivab]

Thanks Suraj.
TS Subramanian of The Hindu is one of the best & trustworthy reporter.

Agni III weighs 48.3 tonnes and stands 16.7 metres tall. The missile's diameter is two metres. It can carry nuclear warheads weighing one tonne. Its range is about 3,500 km and it can target many parts of China.

My estimatewas 16.3 meter he reports 16.7 meter . And he confirms 2 meter diameter. He also accurately reports 48.3 tonne weight.

Excellent work Arun.

[atma]

ARUN I have been following every thing with intensity, for the last year. I have to give it to you. Your knowledge , zeal for detail, and enthusiam has no peers. Thanks for all your Knowledge, Expertise and Patriotism.

People like us, who were sidelined b the GOI, but recently started feeling intensely patriotic, laud you for your efforts. Like somebuddy else said....U R the Best

[vinayak_d]

Thanks Suraj.
TS Subramanian of The Hindu is one of the best & trustworthy reporter.

Agni III weighs 48.3 tonnes and stands 16.7 metres tall. The missile's diameter is two metres. It can carry nuclear warheads weighing one tonne. Its range is about 3,500 km and it can target many parts of China.

My estimatewas 16.3 meter he reports 16.7 meter . And he confirms 2 meter diameter. He also accurately reports 48.3 tonne weight.

Thanks for the info arun. The diagram still shows agni-3++ with 1.8m diameter. Should that be revised to 2m?

[Nalla Baalu]

Y Mallikarjun of the The Hindu reports thus from Hyderabad:

HYDERABAD : Nuclear capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-III was successfully test-fired on Thursday, signalling India's entry into a select group of nations that have the ability to hit targets 3,500 km away with accuracy and precision.

The 16.7-metre tall surface-to-surface missile lifted off at 10.52 a.m. from the Wheeler Island, off the coast of Orissa, and impacted on a pre-determined target in the ocean after flying for 13 minutes. It reached an altitude of 400 km before re-entering the earth's atmosphere.

Agni-III test-fired successfully

[Gerard]

LGM-30 Minuteman 3

Engine 3-stage solid propellant
Launch mass 36,030 kg
Length 18 m
Diameter 1.67 m
Speed Mach 23 or 7 km/s
Range 10,000 km
Flying altitude 1,120 kilometers
Warhead Nuclear W87 (300kT)

RT-2UTTH Topol M

Engine 3-stage solid propellant
Launch mass 47,200 kg
Length 22.7 m
Diameter 1.95 m
Speed
Range 11,000 km
Warhead Nuclear 550 kT

LGM-118A MX Peacekeeper

Engine 4 stages - first 3 solid propellant. 4th stage liquid fuel motor with storable hypergolic fuel
Length 21.8 m
Diameter 2.3 m
Launch mass 87,750 kg
Range 9,700 km
Guidance: Inertial 120 m CEP
Payload 3950 kg up to 10 Mk-21 RVs each carrying a 300KT W-87 warhead.

[Arun_S]

ARUN I have been following every thing with intensity, for the last year. I have to give it to you. Your knowledge , zeal for detail, and enthusiam has no peers. Thanks for all your Knowledge, Expertise and Patriotism.

People like us, who were sidelined b the GOI, but recently started feeling intensely patriotic, laud you for your efforts. Like somebuddy else said....U R the Best

Thank you sir.

What you see is only the Jyoti of India becoming Fire of India. I am but what my master makes me. All is by the Grace of Durga & Vishnu, not mine.


vinayak_dangui: I notices that it is yet another file that I did not package into the upload. I will have this file too uploaded soon. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Gerard]

[Arun_S]

Thanks Suraj.
TS Subramanian of The Hindu is one of the best & trustworthy reporter. My estimatewas 16.3 meter he reports 16.7 meter . And he confirms 2 meter diameter. He also accurately reports 48.3 tonne weight.


Thanks for the info arun. The diagram still shows agni-3++ with 1.8m diameter. Should that be revised to 2m?

I noticed thte file is already uploaded but not yet renamed, thus it was still showing older image.

For the time being you can see the correct diagram here



Also Link

[Arun_S]

Good graphics, just the launcher is not scafolling type, but solid arm, similar to that used for Agni-II.

The range circle in this diagram corresponds to 4,500Km.

[shyamd]

Here are my poor quality images.



The rail launch.

For any guru's who can notice anything there.

This one is for Arun. BR reaches NDTV!


Thank you Arun for all your efforts and for your insights. Much appreciated.

[Gerard]

shyamd, thanks for those caps.

[SSridhar]

Agni-III test fired successfully

Many firsts

The Agni-III success has many firsts for indigenous missile technology development. It has validated the robust, light weight, composite material rocket motor casings developed by DRDO.

Second, it has proved the efficiency of flex nozzles, which are critical in helping change the direction of trajectory of the missile.

In the re-entry technology, which has been the toughest, the Agni missile has, once again proven that the technology has been mastered and the composite nose tip and missile body is able to withstand the high temperatures of between 2500-3000 degrees C.

The two-stage, solid propellant, inertial guidance and propulsion systems have come good this time.

The DRDO scientists also fixed a thermal protection in the missile system, which solved the problem encountered in the maiden, Agni-III flight on July 9, 2006, which resulted in a failure. A technical team conducted a detailed failure analysis.

"Due to certain interactions in the sub-systems, excess heat was generated causing a fire that was found to be the reason for the flight to nose-dive into the Bay of Bengal, just 70 seconds after lift-off," said Mr Avinash Chander, who is also the Director of the Hyderabad-based, Advanced Systems Laboratory, which pilots the Project Agni, the `pride' and most strategic project in the (IGMDP), launched in 1982-83.

[Arun_S]

Here are my poor quality images.

Link1[/img]
Link2
The rail launch.
link3
For any guru's who can notice anything there.
link4
This one is for Arun. BR reaches NDTV!
Link5

Thank you Arun for all your efforts and for your insights. Much appreciated.

Thanks shymad for the screen capture and also appreciation. Its all for India our motherland.

[Gerard]

India claims no China threat in missile test

Officials stressed, however, that it would be wrong to see the testing of the missile as a threat to China, emphasising the friendly relations the countries enjoyed.

"It poses no threat to China. It is merely a test firing. No more, no less," a senior government official said.

[Gerard]

India Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Missile

India's current crop of missiles has been largely intended to confront neighboring archrival Pakistan. The Agni III, in contrast, is India's longest-range missile, designed to reach 1,900 miles _ putting China's major cities well into range, as well as targets deep in the Middle East.
It also is said to be capable of carrying up to a 300-kiloton nuclear warhead.
India's missile program, together with its nuclear program and drive for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, is part of its ongoing efforts to establish itself as a world power.

[Gerard]

Rajat Pandit expounds..

Agni-III can be deployed only after 2-3 years

"Fitted with onboard computer systems, the missile crossed the atmosphere after a 90-km vertical climb and then re-entered it from the stratosphere in an unpowered free-fall to hit the pre-determined impact point near the Car Nicobar island," said an official.

But it will require several more tests over the next two-three years before the armed forces can even think of deploying Agni-III operationally. Considering that it weighs 48 tonnes, it will also not be road-mobile, limiting flexibility in deployment.

But the Agni-III test, it is hoped, will pave the way for India to eventually develop genuine ICBMs, dubbed "Surya" in some quarters, which will incorporate some key elements from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Even the first Agni prototype tested in 1989 was basically adapted from the country's first space launch vehicle, SLV-3.

[Maninder]

Good show India!!

[shyamd]

Thanks Arun, Gerard.

Video of the test

Apologies for poor quality at the end of the video.

Got a few more video's. Shall post tommorow.

[Gaurav_S]

Was sure that some jingo on the other part of world may have uploaded Agni III launch video on Youtube.

I was right, but unfortunately it has been lately removed by user for some reasons. Uploader is Nandu10, if not wrong we have got Nandu on BRF also..is that the one?

[Gaurav_S]

I was looking at the same video shyamd. How come it shows me 'The video has been removed by user'

Anyway thanks

[ajay_hk]

Agni-III sparks off on its success sojourn
[quote]DH News Service, Bhubaneswar:

India on Thursday successfully test-fired its most sophisticated and strategically most important missile Agni III from the DRDO-run missile testing centre located in the Wheelers Island off the Dhamara coast in Orissa’s Bhadrak district.

According to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources, the intermediate range ballistic missile which has the capability to carry both conventional as well as nuclear warheads was test-fired from launch pad number four of the premier missile testing centre at around 10.52 am.

With this success, the country has acquired the much needed credible nuclear deterrent against potential adversaries like the China.

The 15-minute flight of the 16- metre-high “huge and powerfulâ€

[sunilUpa]

Bhai Log, NDTV has quite good footage on their website, you can see Rail launcher, Missile launch clearly.

Clicky

[Gerard]

US Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 12, 2007

Link

QUESTION: Do you have anything -- any reaction to the missile that India test-fired this morning? Apparently, it could carry a nuclear warhead and is able to reach China.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, the Indians do have an active missile program and typically what they do under their agreements with the Pakistani Government is there's a prior notification. I can't verify for you at this point that that did take place in these circumstances.

What we urge all the governments in the region to do -- India, Pakistan included -- is to work within the constraints of the agreements that they have regarding notification and also not take any actions that would be destabilizing to the balance in the region.

QUESTION: Do you consider this to be an action that's destabilizing to the region?

MR. MCCORMACK: Elise, I'd have to check to see if this is something that is technically different or goes beyond the previous technical demonstrated capabilities of the Indian Government, the Indian military, in launching the missile. I'm not aware that it does, but I'll be happy to check for you.

QUESTION: Just given everything you're trying to do kind of on the nuclear front with Iran and North Korea, getting them to kind of dismantle their nuclear programs, is this a time that India should be test-firing a missile that actually has a nuclear capability?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, it's not the first time they've done this, to my knowledge -- test-fired missiles. As I said, I can't tell you what the technical capabilities of this missile are versus previous missile launches.

India is trying to enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world vis-à-vis its nuclear program. We are in negotiations with the Indian Government about that, currently ongoing. They have in certain international fora demonstrated a certain level of responsibility with respect to preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction technology, including nuclear technology. So India certainly is trying to, I would say, enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world than it has previously had on the nuclear issue.

[Vriksh]

This china specific missile thing is stupid to say the least. Why is DDM harping on this fact constantly. Some things are best left unsaid. Velvet glove mailed fist et al.

[Harry]

Any way to download the ndtv video? Keepvid doesn't work.

[Gerard]

Why is DDM harping on this fact constantly.

Imagine what they would say if they saw the 450 kg - 12,000 km
estimates
Target Vancouver?

[Singha]

can someone use Goog earth to find shortest distance to LA and NYC ?

[thammu]

Plea for moderation of views!!!

<a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/story/28216.html">Long
range over China</a>

[vina]

Rajat Pandit expounds..
Considering that it weighs 48 tonnes, it will also not be road-mobile, limiting flexibility in deployment.

What a dork! Does he sit in some dark corner all day and doesn't even go out for a walk or even go for a drive or something at all ? .. 48 tons not road mobile eh ? How about all the LPG trucks or all the long multi wheeled trucks on NHAI and other secondary roads? .. I am sure they are close to 70 tons..

[Suppiah]

Assuming it is placed somewhere in the western ghats for increased safety, and not launched from east coast / NE, 3500 will not be enough to hit Beijing based on distances shown by google earth..

[Shalav]

...find shortest distance to LA and NYC ?

Use the 1st box in the great circle mapper

DEL-JFK = ~11,800 km
DEL-LAX = ~12,900 km

enter in origin airport code-destination airport code format. Lat/Long format can also be used.


Arun guru,

Magnificent work!

[NRao]

I think C. Uday. Bhaskar put it best: Insurance for future security.

We need to obfuscate the reason why we built it and the next one too - Surya.

[Nayak]

Good to see the evil Wahabbi cult is also covered by Agni.

Arun-san,

You are one evil sdre yindoo.

Take that as a compliment saar.

If the chinks had any body hair, it would have stood up in fear seeing the success of Agni-3.

Now for India and China to spread more brotherly love and understanding with each other.