India tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile

AFP via Yahoo! News ^ | 08/29/04 | N/A

[TigerLikesRooster]

India has test-fired a variant of its home-grown nuclear-capable Agni ballistic missile from a test site on its east coast(AFP/File/Raveendran )

India tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile

BHUBANESHWAR, India (AFP) - India has test-fired a variant of its home-grown nuclear-capable Agni ballistic missile from a test site on its east coast, a defence official said.

The surface-to-surface intermediate range Agni-II, with a maximum strike range of 2,500 kilometres (1,560 miles), was fired from a mobile launcher on Wheeler Island off eastern Orissa state, the official said on Sunday.

It was India's third test of the Agni-II. The missile was first tested on April 11, 1999 and again on January 17, 2001.

The latest test comes a week ahead of peace talks in New Delhi between the foreign ministers of nuclear-capable India and Pakistan aimed at endings decades of hostility over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir (news - web sites).

In June 19-20 official-level talks in the Indian capital, both sides agreed to set up a hotline to prevent nuclear confrontation, to continue a ban on nuclear tests and to conclude an agreement on informing each other in advance about impending missile tests.

The missile tested Sunday powered by solid fuel is capable of carrying 1,000-kilogramme (2,200-pound) nuclear or conventional warhead, the official said.

Developed by India's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), the 20-metre (65-foot) missile weighs 16 tonnes. It can be fired from rail- and road-based missile launchers.

It is armed with sophisticated technologies in control and guidance, re-entry, multi-staging and communication.

India's Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and senior officials of his ministry and scientists were present at the launch, the official said.

The Agni (Fire) is one of five missiles developed by the DRDO under its Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme launched in 1983.

The other four missiles are the short-range surface-to-surface Prithvi (Earth) missile, the surface-to-air Trishul (Trident) and Akash (Sky), and the anti-tank Nag (Serpent).

India and Pakistan held nuclear tests two weeks apart in 1998 and have since come close to war twice in their dispute over Kashmir.

[CarrotAndStick]

Ping!!!

[risk]

Free and democratic peoples have a right to be armed!

[GeronL]

didn't India announce they were also building a rocket that could put up a 4-ton satellite??

[sukhoi-30mki]

Yep-so??That rocket(the GSLV MK1) was first launched in 2001-the 1st Agni was testfired in 1987(IIRC).

[GeronL]

I think the article said it could put a 4-ton satellite into geosynchronous orbit. If they can do that, then this test was just for show before the 'summit' meeting.

[sukhoi-30mki]

I hope to see the Agni-3 take off soon for the first time.The DRDO & the defense minister stated that a test will be done this year.The Agni3 ,which is expected to have a range of about 3,500 + kms will be able to strike both Shanghai & Beijing when launched from India's north-east,a capability that can be buttressed when India get's it's cruise missile equipped Akula class subs from Russia & it's own nuke subs hit the water(by 2007).

[sukhoi-30mki]

Summit meeting between whom???for the Pakistanis-India does'nt need missiles to hit them,it's Jaguar,Mirage-2000 & SU-30 jets are more than sufficient to hit most parts of Pakistan & there is also the 'Prithvi' battlefield missile which has ranges from 150-250 kms depending on the variant & also it's Russian Klub cruise missiles (fired from the Kilo class D/E class subs ).

The only folks for whom this missile is aimed at are the Chinese-but as i stated in an earlier post,a range of over 3,000kms together with nuclear submarines are the only real way to deter China.

[CarrotAndStick]

IIRC, from somewhere I read, the Agni III's development wouldn't need to be rushed because if India faces a dire emergency of sorts, it can use its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) or even the Geo-Synchrous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV) as an emergency ICBM, capable of striking any place on earth.

[CarrotAndStick]

Besides, who's heard of the infamous Surya(Sun) missile?

[CarrotAndStick]

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/india/missile/surya.htm

Surya:
At least one source has reported that a 12,000-km range, 80,000-kg weight ballistic missile, designated Surya, is also under development, but no confirmatory reports of such activity have as yet been discovered. (1)
The status of the Surya [Sun] ICBM program is extremely unclear, with some report indicating that the development of this system was initiated in 1994. Conflicting reports regarding the Surya's configuration claim that it will be based on the components of the polar space launch vehicle (PSLV) and the Agni IRBM, and that it will have a range between 8000 and 12,000 kms. (2)

[GeronL]

Well, I hope that India will also consider joining the space club.

[Cronos]

The surface-to-surface intermediate range Agni-II, with a maximum strike range of 2,500 kilometres (1,560 miles), was fired from a mobile launcher on Wheeler Island off eastern Orissa state, the official said on Sunday.

The article skirts aroundthe key point -- with a range of 1560 miles,the target is NOT pakistan -- it is CHINA.

[Cronos]

India doesn't need a 12K Km range missile -- I suspect it may be just a test for space exploration rather than as a weapon

[sukhoi-30mki]

Well if ur definition for space club means only satellites,India has been part of it for nearly 30 years launching satellites on Soviet/Russian,European & American launchers at the start & later on it's homemade PSLV & GSLV
systems.India sent it's first man to space in 1984 when squadron leader Rakesh Sharma boarded the Soyuz-11 Soviet Space craft.As of now,India's space ambitions are restricted to satellites(weather/communications/remote -sensing etc) ,research(primarily with France,Germany,Israel among others) & an unmanned probe to the moon in 2007-2008(which will carry payloads from a number of nations).There are no solid plans for a man in space from an Indian launch vehicle for atleast 10 years as it would be of no practical use & unlike the Chinese,propaganda is of limited use in a democratic nation like India.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Bingo.

[Cronos]

There are no solid plans for a man in space from an Indian launch vehicle for atleast 10 years as it would be of no practical use & unlike the Chinese,propaganda is of limited use in a democratic nation like India.

Exactamundo

[grey_whiskers]

Sorry, I misread your post as '12 km range missle.'

The thought of the effects of a strategic nuclear warhead
mounted on a 12-km range missle had me LOL, nuclear
artillery notwithstanding.

[Cronos]

Hmmm a nuke on a 12km range missile -- sort of like fire and run like he**!! ;-P