India today successfully test fired the 4000 km range Agni 4 Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile from the wheeler island off the coast of Odis...
The launch operations were carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The long range Radars and Electro-Optical Tracking systems (EOTS) located all along the coast tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight.
Agni-IV is lighter in weight and has two stages of solid fuel propulsion and a payload with re-entry heat shield. It is equipped with state of the art Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture. It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for inflight disturbances.
The most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and supported by redundant, highly reliable Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensures high accuracy.
The re-entry heat shield is capable of withstanding high temperatures that may reach as high as 4000 degree centigrade and above during reentry of missile in earth’s atmosphere and makes sure that the avionics function normally, with inside temperature remaining less than 50 degree centigrade.
Compared to the 50 tonne Agni-3 with a range of 3000 km, Agni-4 weighs just 17 tonnes.
With Agni 1, 2, 3 and Prithvi already in India’s arsenal, Agni 4 further extends the reach and enhances effective deterrence capability, specificaly against China.
Indian Agni series consists 5 ballistic missiles- Agni I (750km), Agni II (2500 km), Agni III (3000 km), Agni IV (4000 km) and Agni V (5000 km). Agni-I, II, III and Prithvi series (150-300 km ) missiles are already inducted into Indian armed forces. The Agni V missile has completed two successful test firings.
