intercontinental ballistic missile , agni 5

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Agni-V

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

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	250-350 million (INR) or $ 5.6-7.9 million (USD)
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)

Introduction

According to one of the India's senior defence scientists, Dr M Natrajan, DRDO is 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). The missile will have a range of about 5000–6000 km. In September 2010, DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat confirmed that the first test flight will be conducted in 2011.

Description

Agni missile range.

The Agni-V is a three stage solid fueled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage.Two stages of this missile will be made of composite material. Agni-V will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against Anti-ballistic missile systems.
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.
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.
"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".
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 300 to 400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50-tonne missile.
"You can reduce the payload and (further) increase the range of Agni-V" Saraswat told the Reuters in Feb 2010.
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). A 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.

Testing

Defence Minister A.K Antony said the missile is ready for testing. As per DRDO almost 90% of the works are fininshed and is in final tuning and check phase.