NEW DELHI, Dec 17: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has succeeded in reducing the weight of the Agni-V nuclear missile by 20 per cent which will enable the missile to go beyond 7,000 kilometres to hit the target, defence sources said.
Agni-V missile developed by the DRDO was successfully tested only on Thursday for its current maximum range of 5,400 kms but by reducing its weight by replacing the steel content with composite materials, the missile can now travel about 1,500 kms more as the government wanted, the sources said.
Agni-3 weighs around 40 tonnes and can strike targets at 3,000 km while the Agni-4 weighs more than 20 tonnes and can cover a much longer range. “The extended range of the missile which is part of the Strategic Forces Command will give a variety of options to the planners during times of conflict,” the report said.
Thursday’s test of Agni-V was at its full range of 5,400 km. The decision to test the missile for its new maximum possible range will have to be taken by the government, it said.
The test of Agni-V came amid an escalation of the border row with China in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9. The last Agni test fire was conducted in October.
Agni V uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine and is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy, the defence ministry had said in a statement. The successful test of Agni-V is in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’, it had said.
(Manas Dasgupta)