(Image source from: livemint.com)
India has effectively test-fired it's ingenuously developed nuclear capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-V which is its sixth test launch on Sunday. It has a strike range of 5,000 Km. off the Odisha coast.
With the help of a mobile launcher from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) the surface-to-surface missile was launched at Dr Abdul Kalam Island in Bay of Bengal at 9:48 a.m., defense sources said.
This sixth trial of Agni-V missile covered its full distance which was a total achievement.
Distinct to other missiles of the series, Agni-V is the utmost advanced one with new technologies in terms of guidance and navigation, warhead and engine, said a Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) official.
"The flight performance of the missile was tracked and monitored by radars, tracking instruments and observation stations all through the mission," the sources said.
Many new technologies developed ingenuously were successfully tested in the Agni-5 trial. Navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) had ensured the missile reached the target point within few meters of accuracy, the official explained.
"The high speed on-board computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the Missile flawlessly, he said.
The way missile has been programmed is after reaching its trajectory peak, it will turn towards the earth continuing its journey towards the planned target with an augmented speed due to the attraction of earth’s gravitational pull. The advanced on-board computer and inertial navigation system has precisely directed the path.
As the missile enters the earth's atmosphere, the atmospheric air rubbing the skin of the missile during the re-entry phase raises the temperature beyond 4,000 degrees Celsius, sources said.
The ships located in mid-range and at the target point, tracked the vehicle and witnessed the final event. All the radars and electro-optical systems along the path monitored all parameters of the missile and displayed in real time, they added.
However, the ingenuously designed and developed carbon-carbon composite heat shield continues to burn sacrificially, protecting the payload and maintaining the inside temperature below 50 degrees Celsius, the sources added.
Finally, commanded by the on-board computer with a support of ring laser gyro based inertial navigation system, the micro inertial navigation system, fully digital control system and advanced compact avionics, the missile hit the designated target point accurately, meeting all mission objectives, they said.
The initial test of Agni-V was carried out on April 19, 2012, the second test on September 15, 2013, the third test on January 31, 2015, the fourth on December 26, 2016 and the final test was carried out on January 18, 2018 with all the five tests being successful.
By Sowmya Sangam
