India successfully test-fired Agni-III medium-range nuclear capable ballistic missile

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Defence & Security News - India
 
India successfully test-fired Agni-III medium-range nuclear capable ballistic missile.
India on Thursday, April 16, 2015, successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 km.
     
India on Thursday, April 16, 2015, successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 km. Indian-made Agni-III medium-range ballistic missile at military parade in New Delhi.
     
The suface-to-surface missile was launched by the personnel of Indian Army Strategic Forces Command (SFC) at 9.52 a.m. from a mobile launcher as part of regular training exercise for the user.

For data analyses, the entire trajectory of today’s trial was monitored through various telemetry stations, electro-optic systems and sophisticated radars located along the coast and by naval ships anchored near the impact point, the military sources said.

Agni-III is an medium-range ballistic missile developed by India as the successor to Agni-II. It has a range of 3,500 km- 5,000 km, and is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries.

The Agni-III has two stages with an overall diameter of two meters. Initially, the first stage mass was about 32 tonnes and 7.7 m long, the second stage mass was about 10 tonnes and 3.3 m long. The missile is likely to support a wide range of warhead configurations, with a 4,500 km range and a total payload weight of 2490 kg.

The first test for Agni III was conducted from Wheeler Island off the Bhadrak coast on 9 July 2006. In August 2010, the defence minister of India announced that Agni-III was ready for induction and in June 2011, it was reported that the Agni-III missile had already been inducted into the Indain armed forces.