Orissa: Ballistic Missile AGNI III test fired

Balasore, Apr 12: India's most powerful indigenously-developed intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni III was test-fired from the Wheeler Island inside the Bay of Bengal, close to the Dhamra Coast in Orissa, this morning.

Integrated Test Range(ITR) sources said the most sophisticated missile was test-fired from a fixed platform at the launch complex of the Wheeler Island at 1052 hours.

Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju, Scientific Advisor to Defence Ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation Chief M Natarajan, Defence scientists of the DRDO and ITR were present during the launch of the missile.

The test of the country's longest-range Surface to Surface missile, having a range of over 3,000 km, were rescheduled twice during 2003 and 2004 but had to be put off when some problems in the propulsion systems came to light. Its maiden test-flight from the Wheeler island on July 9 last year was unsuccessful. Defence sources said when the missile was test fired its second stage did not separate and it fell into the sea.

Undeterred by the failure of the test of the Agni-III missile, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) decided to go ahead with the programme to conduct the launch.

Accordingly the defence scientists had worked overtime to ensure a flawless launch of the missile. The failure of the missile, was related to material which was rectified before it was test-fired today.

Sources said this time the DRDO has used a new critical motor case hardware made of special steel for the test. The new device, will increase the range of the missile by 15 to 30 per cent. The missile was designed to cover a range of 3,500 kms.

In view of long-term security needs, the Government has approved development of the Agni-III missiles while the production of the 700-KM-range Agni-I and Agni-II,with a range of 2,000 KM, had already commenced and is likely to be deployed in the Army.

UNI