New Generation Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile ‘Agni P’ Successfully Test-Fired By DRDO

Manish Jha Dec 18, 2021

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile ‘Agni P’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha at 1106 hrs on Saturday. Various telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and down range ships positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile trajectory and parameters. The missile followed text book trajectory meeting all mission objectives with high level of accuracy.

The Agni P, also known as Agni Prime, is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system. Agni-P is based on Agni class under the - Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

IGMDP was initiated by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to deesign and develop missile technology ingenuously. In the series, Agni 5 is India’s long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which has the range of 5,000 km and it is categorized as inter continental ballistics missile.

Under the IGMDP, DRDO initiated various type of missiles program:

Prithvi: Short range surface to surface ballistic missile.
Agni: Ballistic missiles with different ranges, i.e. Agni (1,2,3,4,5)
Trishul: Short range low level surface to air missile.
Nag: 3rd generation anti-tank missile.
Akash: Medium range surface to air missile.

This second flight-test has proven the reliable performance of all the advanced technologies integrated into the system. The nuclear-capable Agni-P was first successfully test-fired by on June 28 this year. This led to the major breakthrough in adding parameters for accuracy and range over the trajectory. Tests were crucial to validate the new elements as new composites, propulsion systems, innovative guidance and control mechanisms, besides the latest navigation systems. The major breakthrough on the missile's navigation systems is the new advanced ring-laser gyroscopes as it map the trajectory and location real time.

Its added range lies between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometres.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded DRDO for the successful flight test and expressed his happiness for the excellent performance of the system. Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the team to have done the second development flight trial with many additional features and congratulated for the consecutive success within the same calendar year.