India to probe Agni III missile test failure (Roundup)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Monsters and Critics.com, UK) ^ | Jul 10, 2006

[kinetics]

New Delhi - India's Defence Ministry would 'thoroughly examine' the technical reasons behind the failure of the first-test launch of Agni III, the country's longest-range nuclear-capable missile, reports and officials said Monday.

Sunday's launch of the surface-to-surface missile came as a disappointment for the Indian defence establishment as the projectile failed to separate in its second stage and fell into the Bay of Bengal over 2,000 kilometres short of its designated 3,500 kilometre target, defence ministry sources said.

India's Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee told reporters that the reasons behind the snag would be explored and the faults would be corrected, the PTI news agency reported.

According to the Times of India, there were a 'series of mishaps' in the missile's flight path which finally ended with Agni III falling into the sea barely 1,000 kilometres from the launch site.

The missile could not achieve its high-arching trajectory and developed problems in the second-stage, the report said.

'The second stage of the two-stage, solid-fuelled missile apparently failed to separate. The test failed to achieve most of the operational parameters set for it,' the paper quoted an official source as saying.

But defence experts contend that the test cannot be termed a complete failure as it takes eight to 10 test firings for a missile to evolve completely.

'The US and Russia typically carry out 20 or so tests before declaring a missile fully developed,' analyst Manoj Joshi wrote in the Hindustan Times.

Agni III, meaning fire in Hindi, can take a payload of up to 1,000 kilos and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The Agni III is the most sophisticated of the missiles developed under a long-term integrated missile development programme by India's Defence Research and Development Organization.

Its earlier variants, Agni I and Agni II, have been successful and are being deployed in the country's defence forces.

Even though the missile failed to clear its maiden test, local media stressed that the momentum of the Agni III programme needed to be maintained as it was significant for India's nuclear minimum deterrence programme, especially with regard to China.

Both China and India's western neighbour Pakistan have nuclear-capable missiles.

'Agni III will be an important step forward for India's missile programme because it is an entirely new vehicle designed for the purpose of carrying a nuclear deterrent rather than as a by-product of other programmes,' Joshi said.

[kinetics]

Earlier reports of India's successful long-range missile test were inaccurate. The Agni III missile only flew 1,000 kilometers before failing.

[theDentist]

Did Karl Rove's "Abort Launching Missile" button get stuck from earlier last week, or was he just having fun?

[Tinian]

Those SOF guys really get around.

[kinetics]

LOL

But why would the US sabotage India's missile?

[Doogle]

.."Gungi, did the boss say the missile guidance system was in the sack with blue thread,or red..or was the red threaded sack holding the nuclear waste, or , wait, did you ever find the sack with the white thread we were looking for last week that held those buffalo licenses?

Doogle