Agni-V: Countdown begins, test fire likely at 8.30 pm from Odisha coast
By Our correspondent
Place: Balasore
Date: 18-Apr-2012
Balasore(Odisha): The countdown begins for the test fire of India’s indigenously developed nuclear capable Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-5.
The test fire like to take place at 8.30 pm from a test range off the coast of Odisha, sources said. Earlier it was scheduled at 7.30 pm . but due to bad weather the test has been rescheduled at 8.30 pm.
If the test passes off successfully, the missile will have a strike range of over 5,000 kilometers. The test fire of the missile will be conducted from the launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Wheeler island off the coast of Odisha.
The surface-to-surface missile Agni-V that can carry a pay-load of 1 tonne is 17 m long, 2 m wide and weighs 50 tonnes.
Only the US, Russia, France and China possess the capability to operate an ICBM.
DRDO plans to conduct more such tests of the missile over the next one year after studying and analyzing the parameters achieved in each subsequent trial.
In November last year, DRDO had successfully test fired the 3,500 km range Agni-4 missile giving muscle to India's deterrent capability against the military adversaries.
DRDO has also placed necessary equipments to collect data on the trajectory and flight of the missile and other necessary data which will be studied further for its future development.
India presently possesses the Agni-I, which has a range of 700 km, the Agni-2 (2,000 km), Agni-III and IV (3,000 plus km).
Agni-V: Countdown begins, test fire likely at 8.30 pm from Odisha coast