The Indian Scientist and DRDO really deserve credit for another achievement in the nation’s defence. India today successfully test-fired it’s indigenously developed nuclear capable Long Range Ballistic Missile Agni-5 with a strike range of 5,000 km from Dr. Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface missile was launched with the help of a mobile launcher from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal. This was the sixth trial of the state-of-the-art Agni-5. The missile covered its full distance during the trial which was a total success.
The flight performance of the missile was tracked and monitored by radars, tracking instruments and observation stations all through the mission. Unlike other missiles of the series, Agni-5 is the most advanced with new technologies in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine and hence it is a significant success. A spectacular event, let us be proud of it, we have to be strong enough to guard ourselves against precarious challenges from outside. Each and every Indian is proud of our advanced technologies, our road towards the status of a developed nation is around the corner. Dreams of Dr. Abdul Kalam is coming true.
The missile features many new indigenously-developed technologies, including the very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS), and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) which improves the accuracy of the missile.
The first test of Agni-5 was conducted on April 19, 2012, the second on September 15, 2013, the third on January 31, 2015, and fourth on December 26, 2016. The last test was held on January 18, 2018. At present, India has in its armoury the Agni series — Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2,000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 km range.
The Defence Research Development Organisation maintained the tradition over years for a nuclear implosion test stealthily decades back and the sustained efforts of our scientists and engineers are laudable in this regard. India alone cannot refrain or eliminate missile tests. China, North Korea etc. all in the immediate and larger neighbourhood must stop them as well.
Agni-5 can carry a nuclear warhead weighing 1.5 tonnes to a distance of over 5,000 km and is the longest missile in India’s arsenal capable of reaching most parts of China. With a smaller payload, the range can go up much higher.
A spectacular event, let us be proud of it, we have to be strong enough to guard ourselves against precarious challenges from outside. Each and every Indian is proud of our advanced technologies, our road towards the status of a developed nation is around the corner. Our congratulations to each and every individual who strove hard to attain our target.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
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