Agni III IRBM

Agni III IRBM

Agni 3 Test Launch

      Agni Missile program, named after the fire god in Hindu tradition has for long been associated with the deterrence of our nation. The Agni program under which our country has developed a whole array of intercontinental ballistic missiles has turned to produce one most delivery systems for the Indian armed forces.

       The Agni program was conceived by around 1985 with the DRDO in charge of producing a delivery system that could help India realize its long awaited Missile program. DRDO has produced the most advanced and efficient missile systems under the program. The Agni team has time and again proved it might with repeated tests by the control authority, SFC (Strategic Forces). 

       The Interim Test Range in Chandipur is filled the most efficient scientists of the Organization. The launch pad and the control centre will stand witness to the work of this less known community tomorrow when one of their product takes to sky all their work and dedication. Agni 3 will be propelled to the skies from the ITR at around noon tomorrow as part of the user trial by the SFC.

         Agni III is a successor to the Agni II, the Agni III has an range of over 3500 KM.  The missile can carry 250 kiloton nuclear warheads which can cause ten times the destruction caused in Hiroshima. Agni III is one of the most reliable long range ballistic missile co-developed by DRDO and BDL. Agni III was designed specially strike enemy positions with a high degree of accuracy, which was way higher than the accuracy available in the other Agni variants. Agni III enjoys a CEP around 40 m which is one of the Best accurate missiles in IRBM kind.

       Agni III is SFC's primary nuclear strike missile, the missile can out manoeuvre even the most advanced anti ballistic missile systems. The user trial is being conducted by the SFC and DRDO will only provide any logical support to the campaign. SFC is cleared for launching missiles with nuclear warheads with the due permission of CCS. 

     Agni 3 comes with 2 ton either conventional or thermobaric munitions which is used for conventional warfare purpose and can be deployed anywhere in India using the TEL (Transport Erector Launcher). The missile system is believed to have reached up to 5000 km and is a all weather capable missile system.

The Solid Propellant powering the Agni 3 missile reduces the fuel maintenance and scheduled fuel change. The Agni III is a two stage missile. When the missile is launched from the range, it can attain an altitude of 350 kilometres within 13 minutes during which most of the parabolic path and the distance towards the designated target is completed. 

   The missile then re-enters the atmosphere after a exothermic flight and now travels at a speed of 7km per second the missile temperature shoots up to 3000 deg Celsius at this point most of the alloy materials can be melted, even Aluminum melts at this point, to avoid this the missile is developed by special material.

       Even the re-entry modules were developed by composite materials which can withstand more than 6000 degree Celsius, 

     The missile is guided by Inertial Navigation system that uses the GPS coordinates, after completion of IRNSS Navigation the system will follow IRNSS based co ordinates, currently India relies on the US system and if these systems are not provided to India by US the missile will be left without a reliable guidance system. The missile will then have to rely only on Radio frequency based terminal guidance which is not a reliable method and cannot guide the missile to the designated location.

       A submarine launch able variant of the Agni III was also developed by the DRDO. The first Test of Agni 3 which was carried out during 2006 had failed prove the reliability of the system after the missile plunged to the sea soon after liftoff. But DRDO has learns a lot from this test and has carried out three successful tests, which gives the Operational readiness of the Missile and is ready to be transferred to SFC.





         It was reported in 2011 that Agni 3 was inducted into SFC and was deployed in launch mode. SFC has conducted two user trials and both these tests have turned out to huge success. 

Agni 3 in TEL

50kg Therombaric Explosion

 Editor Karthik Kakoor