Sipu Jha
NEW DELHI: India on Friday successfully test-fired the intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-3 from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.The launch was conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and successfully validated all operational and technical parameters.The Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a strike range of 3,000–3,500 km and has been in service with India’s SFC since 2011, forming a key part of the country’s nuclear deterrence.Developed indigenously, the missile is two-stage and solid-fuelled, capable of carrying a 1,500 kg payload. It is designed primarily as a nuclear delivery system, with an estimated warhead yield of 200–300 kilotons.The missile measures 16.7 metres in length, 2 metres in diameter and has a launch weight of 48,300 kg. The SFC has conducted multiple tests of the Agni-III over the years. According to CSIS, Agni-III uses a strapdown inertial navigation system (INS) supported by GPS, giving it an accuracy of around 40 metres circular error probable (CEP). Its first stage uses a maraging steel motor case, while the second stage employs a carbon-fibre motor case, both featuring thrust vector control systems for improved accuracy and stability.
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