With 5 out of 5, Agni missile programme is bang on

It’s five in a row success for Agni 5, India’s nuclear-capable, long- range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The test flight on Thursday from the Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha,With also marks a hat trick of hits from a canister on a road mobile launcher. The country’s fire power and defence capabilities will get a major boost with the success of five consecutive missions, said S Christopher, Chairman, DRDO and Secretary, DDR&D, under the Ministry of Defence. The flight performance of the missile launched at 0953 hrs were tracked and monitored by radars, range stations and tracking systems all through the mission. All objectives were fully met. The success of Agni 5 re-affirms the country’s indigenous missile capabilities and further strengthens credible deterrance, the defence ministry said. The significance of the flight was the association of users with the tests. It is credited to be the most advanced missile with an estimated range of 5000 kms. Agni 5 also incorporates an array of technologies in guidance, navigation systems, engine, warhead, which are intended to sharpen and increase the fire power and destruction capabilities, according to defence sources. ‘Ring Laser Gyro’ :: The long-range Agni missiles have also demonstrated the capability of the Ring Laser Gyro developed by the Research Centre Imarat and other labs in the Missile Complex in Hyderabad for the key Inertial Navigation Systems and micro navigation systems, which are important in vastly improving their strike accuracy. The Agni 5 project began in 2012 with the first two flights tested on the open configuration and launched from the Wheeler Island (Kalam Island now). The Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems G Satheesh Reddy, Programme Director MRM Babu, Project Director, G Ramaguru along with Directors of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Labs namely ASL, DRDL, ITR, RCI and TBRL reviewed the entire launch operations. Senior officials from the Armed Forces were present on the occasion, according to an official release. Since the launch of the Project Agni in the 1980’s, the DRDO has developed, tested and is in the process of inducting 5 missiles of different ranges and hit capabilities.