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India may have achieved a major success in testing its over 5,000-km Agni-V Long-Range Ballistic Missile to provide itself a 'second strike' deterrence, but this is not the end of the Agni missile programme, it announced.
India's top defence scientist VK Saraswat told a press conference in Delhi a day after the Agni-5 test that "there is no question of capping the Agni programme".
"The Agni programme will continue and you will see more missiles from this family," Saraswat, who heads the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told a press conference in New Delhi.
"Our missile development programme is based on today's, current and evolving threats. Evolving threats will continue to drive our future needs for platforms and weapons," he said.
He also called the missile, which hit a target in south Indian Ocean over 5,000 km away, as "a game changer" and "a very potent and manoeuverable" weapon India has in its strategic arsenal.
"Agni-5 has opened up new avenues for us to go further" he said.
The nuclear-capable Agni-5 can hit targets deep inside China, including Beijing and considering India's 'no first use' policy, it is a deterrent against the Chinese inter-continental ballistic missile such as DF-31A and its anti-satellite capability that was demonstrated in February 2007.
The future of Agni-5, according to Saraswat, is the development and integration of the anti-satellite, launching and placing in orbit micro, short-term satellites on demand and Multiple Independently Targettable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) that enables one missile to carry many war heads to hit different targets in one go, technologies that Indian defence scientists are working on.
"Agni-5 has already demonstrated that we have a missile that can gain velocity to reach the necessary altitude to hit satellite if we add a kill vehicle to it with a guidance system that will home on to the satellite. With this we can either damage the satellite or destroy it" he said.
But, India is a "peace-loving nation" that does not support weaponisation of space.
DRDO, Saraswat said, had developed the Agni-5 within four years, as the sanction was given for the project only in December 2008. After a couple of more tests over the next one-and-half years, the missile will be inducted into the armed forces in the next two years time.
He also dismissed reports that DRDO was working on the next missile in the family named Agni-6, but confirmed that the next Agni-series missile will have MIRV capability, though Agni-5 did not have it.
Considering the assessment of threat to India in its neighbourhood, Saraswat said, "there is no harm in saying Agni-5 is a game-changer, as it has taken us to a much higher pedestal and has added new dimension to our strategic defence."
He also said that the successful Agni-5 test has provided him "happiness, satisfaction and excitement" and has been a "dream come true" for the defence scientists community of the country.
The DRDO chief also noted that Indian ballistic missiles "are second to none" and in particular, Agni-5, Agni-4 and Agni-3 "are 21st century missiles."
"I have no doubt our missile technology is on par with the best in the world."
Saraswat said the indigenous content in the Agni-5 missile was about 80 per cent.
Agni-5 programme director Avinash Chander said there was not one malfunction in the systems of the missile during the test held of April 19.
The missile's trajectory and performance was tracked by ground stations, including one in Andaman and Nicobar, and by three ships -- one at 3,000-km away from launch site and two other close to the target strike location.
The test was carried out through a rail-mobile launcher, but the DRDO hopes to produce road-mobile Agni-5 systems for delivery to India's Strategic Forces.
Chander also said that future Agni missile will have all-stage composite rockets.
India to Continue Developing Agni Family of Missiles - Defence Now
India's top defence scientist VK Saraswat told a press conference in Delhi a day after the Agni-5 test that "there is no question of capping the Agni programme".
"The Agni programme will continue and you will see more missiles from this family," Saraswat, who heads the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told a press conference in New Delhi.
"Our missile development programme is based on today's, current and evolving threats. Evolving threats will continue to drive our future needs for platforms and weapons," he said.
He also called the missile, which hit a target in south Indian Ocean over 5,000 km away, as "a game changer" and "a very potent and manoeuverable" weapon India has in its strategic arsenal.
"Agni-5 has opened up new avenues for us to go further" he said.
The nuclear-capable Agni-5 can hit targets deep inside China, including Beijing and considering India's 'no first use' policy, it is a deterrent against the Chinese inter-continental ballistic missile such as DF-31A and its anti-satellite capability that was demonstrated in February 2007.
The future of Agni-5, according to Saraswat, is the development and integration of the anti-satellite, launching and placing in orbit micro, short-term satellites on demand and Multiple Independently Targettable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) that enables one missile to carry many war heads to hit different targets in one go, technologies that Indian defence scientists are working on.
"Agni-5 has already demonstrated that we have a missile that can gain velocity to reach the necessary altitude to hit satellite if we add a kill vehicle to it with a guidance system that will home on to the satellite. With this we can either damage the satellite or destroy it" he said.
But, India is a "peace-loving nation" that does not support weaponisation of space.
DRDO, Saraswat said, had developed the Agni-5 within four years, as the sanction was given for the project only in December 2008. After a couple of more tests over the next one-and-half years, the missile will be inducted into the armed forces in the next two years time.
He also dismissed reports that DRDO was working on the next missile in the family named Agni-6, but confirmed that the next Agni-series missile will have MIRV capability, though Agni-5 did not have it.
Considering the assessment of threat to India in its neighbourhood, Saraswat said, "there is no harm in saying Agni-5 is a game-changer, as it has taken us to a much higher pedestal and has added new dimension to our strategic defence."
He also said that the successful Agni-5 test has provided him "happiness, satisfaction and excitement" and has been a "dream come true" for the defence scientists community of the country.
The DRDO chief also noted that Indian ballistic missiles "are second to none" and in particular, Agni-5, Agni-4 and Agni-3 "are 21st century missiles."
"I have no doubt our missile technology is on par with the best in the world."
Saraswat said the indigenous content in the Agni-5 missile was about 80 per cent.
Agni-5 programme director Avinash Chander said there was not one malfunction in the systems of the missile during the test held of April 19.
The missile's trajectory and performance was tracked by ground stations, including one in Andaman and Nicobar, and by three ships -- one at 3,000-km away from launch site and two other close to the target strike location.
The test was carried out through a rail-mobile launcher, but the DRDO hopes to produce road-mobile Agni-5 systems for delivery to India's Strategic Forces.
Chander also said that future Agni missile will have all-stage composite rockets.
India to Continue Developing Agni Family of Missiles - Defence Now
