Click to play videoDhamra (Orissa): India's longest-range, nuclear capable missile Agni-III failed to meet its test standard on Sunday.
The Government had cleared the testfiring after two years. A successful test-launch would have meant a projection of India's nuclear weapons power beyond its immediate neighbourhood.
The missile was meant to be India's first step in building an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile, a capability only shared by the permanent members of the UN Security Council that allows for a strike anywhere at will.
Undaunted by the partial failure of test-firing of the country's most powerful and longer reach 3,500-km range Agni-III missile, Defence Research and Development Organisation scientists on Sunday said more trials of the IRBM missile would be conducted in months ahead to make it fool-proof.
"It was our first experiment with such a long-range missile and in the next few days, we will analyse faults in order to rectify them," the scientists said.
They said the entire data of the testing of the missile from its launch to a snag developing in the second stage was being analysed and 'we are hopeful of rectifying it'.
When the missile veered off-course, the scientists had been closely monitoring the trajectory of the missile, they said.
Prior to the launch of the missile, DRDO scientists had carried out cold seabed trials of critical components and subsistence of missile and this would enable pinpointing of the snag.
"We will have to carry out more tests of the missile in the coming months," the scientists said.
Earlier in the day, the sophisticated intermediate range ballistic misslie (IRBM) Agni-III was test-fired from a range off the Orissa coast on Sunday.
The Agni Story So Far |
|
 May 29, 1992: Agni test-fired from Chandipur-on-sea |
| Feb 19, 1994: Agni test-fired from Chandipur-on-sea (A five-year restraint was then observed) |
| Apr 11, 1999: Agni-II test-fired from Wheeler Island |
| Jan 17, 2001: Agni-II test-fired from Chandipur-on-sea |
| Jan 25, 2002: Agni-I test-fired from Chandipur-on-sea |
| Jan 9, 2003: Agni-I test-fired from Wheeler Island |
| July 4, 2003: Agni-I test-fired from Wheeler Island |
| Aug 29, 2004: Agni-II test-fired from Wheeler Island |
| July 9, 2006: Agni-III test-fired from Wheeler Island |
The indigenously built surface-to-surface nuclear capable missile, with a range of 3,500 km, was test-fired from a fixed platform at the launch complex of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at the Wheeler's Island at about 1105 hours IST, defence sources said.
Described as the most powerful of India's missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni-III has the capability of carrying a payload of 1,000 kg.
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his scientific advisor M Natarajan were also present at the launch complex.
Eyewitnesses said the sleek missile roared into the overcast sky leaving behind a trail of thick yellow smoke and fire and vanished into the clouds within seconds.
Fitted with an onboard computer, it took off vertically into space and re-entered again to the splash down point near Nicobar island in the Bay of Bengal, the sources said.
Three sophisticated radars, six electro optical tracking systems and three telemetric data stations were engaged in the main land at Dhamra, Chandipur and Andamans apart from a ship anchored close to the splash down point to monitor the entire trajectory of the missile.
The two-stage missile has solid fuel boosters and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
The 16-metre long Agni-III has a diametre of 1.8 metres and was shorter than Agni-II which had a length of 20 metres and diameter of one metre.
Though the DRDO had been technically ready for the test launching of Agni-III, its testfiring had been put off repeatedly since November 2004.
Part of the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), missiles in the Agni series are being test fired since May 22, 1989 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district.
After the action shifted to the Wheeler Island a few years ago, Agni-I and Agni-II had been flight tested from there twice each.
Agni-I, with a range of 700 to 800 kg, and Agni-II with a range of 2000 km, had already been inducted into the Army.
Boosters for the two missiles had been provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
However, Agni-III is a totally different system with an entirely new booster vehicle.
(With PTI inputs)
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