Agni Tests: Chronology

The Agni missile has so far been test fired on five occasions.

The First-ever test of the missile was conducted from ther SHAR Complex, Sriharikota, the Satelite Launch Center of India. The test was held on May 22, 1989.It was called a technology demonstrator. The re-entry technology was tested during this launch. The propulsion system was a combination of solid and liquid motors.

The Second test was held on May 29, 1992. The test was only a partial success in that some of the mission goals could not be achieved due to a design deficiency in the location of the sensors.

The Third test was held on February 19, 1994. The significant features of this test were increased range and re-entry manoeuvering. The Second and the Third tests, too, had used a combination of liquid and solid propulsion motors.

Despite repeated pleas in various fora, and the recommendations of India's Parliament, further tests of the missile were put on-hold for several years thereafter.

And then, less than a year after India held the May 1998-Pokhran II nuclear tests, on April 11, 1999 the improved version of Agni, better known as Agni II, was testfired with enhanced range and more importantly with all the stages being powered with solid propulsion motors.

The second test of Agni II was held on January 17, 2001. The Defence Ministry said the test was conducted in "full operational configuration". The range of the missile that would be developed consequent to the test is 2000 km, carrying a payload of one tonne.

Warheads
Different types of warheads have been developed for the missiles under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. In order to defeat diversified ground targets ranging from soft targets like personnel in open to hard targets like, runway, industrial complexes and built up areas, four different types of warheads have been designed and developed for Prithvi missile. The pre-fragmented warhead is designed to neutralise soft targets. The submunition warhead incorporating Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Bomblet is effective against AFVs in the top attack mode besides being effective against personnel up to a distance of about 10 m around the point of burst of each bomblet while the submunition incendiary warhead is effective against inflammable targets. The Runway Denial Penetrating Submunition warhead is designed and developed to neutralise hard targets like runways, administration and industrial complexes and marshalling yards. Prithvi missile, both Army and Air Force versions have been introduced into the Services. The design of the warheads involved development of new technologies and sophisticated mathematical models (software developed based on extensive basic research carried out to design and predict the performance of warheads under various combat conditions).

Application of in-house developed software and sophisticated CAD tools have led to optimal design of various subsystems of the warheads. The DPIC bomblet, viz., antitank-cum-anti- personnel bomblet developed for Prithvi missile, has been made universal in design and is being used for the cargo shells, bombs and rocket systems. The warhead systems designed for Trishul and Akash missiles, are of pre-fragmented type and are meant to defeat aerial targets. Tandem warhead for Nag based on shaped charge technology for use against ERA equipped modern MBT has been developed.

The warhead systems designed and developed will enable the Armed Forces to have totally indigenous strategic weapon systems.

Technologies Developed

Pre-fragmented warhead technology for Prithvi, Akash and Trishul

Two-stage ejection system for deployment of Prithvi submunition

Rocket assisted submunition for missile

Tandem shaped warhead to defeat futuristic MBTs equipped with add on armour

Flow forming technology for fabrication of liner

Technology for impact sensing, centering device, wave shaping of detonation wave

SASU for the time related release of various safeties for submunition warhead

Safety arming mechanism of electromechanical, electronic type.