India successfully test fires 5000km range missile Agni - V

[glb_lub]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/w...ccessfully-tests-nuclear-capable-missile.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17765653

India has successfully launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile able to carry a nuclear warhead, officials say.

The Agni-V was launched from a site off India's east coast and took about 20 minutes to hit its target somewhere near Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.

The missile has a range of more than 5,000km (3,100 miles), potentially bringing targets in China within range.

India said the launch was "flawless" and the missile had reached its target.

"The ships located in mid-range and at the target point have tracked the vehicle [missile] and witnessed the final event," Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Gupta said.

With this, India joins an elite nuclear club of China, Russia, France, the US and UK which already have long-range missiles, although with a much greater range. Israel is also thought to possesses them.

"It was a perfect launch. It met all the test parameters and hit its pre-determined target," SP Das, director of the test range, told the BBC.


Analysts say the Agni (meaning "fire" in Hindi and Sanskrit) missile family is to be the cornerstone of India's missile-based nuclear deterrent.

The Agni-V is 17.5m tall, solid-fuelled, has three stages and a launch weight of 50 tons. It has cost more than 2.5bn rupees ($480m; £307m) to develop.

The missiles are among the country's most sophisticated weapons.

There is some confusion here in India in the media as to what is meant by ICBM and whether a missile with a range of 5000 km should be counted as ICBM.

Well , it seems to be a great achievement for India technologically . But sad to know that we live in a world where developing countries such as India have to spend so much money on weapons when there are so many problems facing the country such as economic disparity , poverty , hunger and corruption.

 

[Astronuc]

There is some confusion here in India in the media as to what is meant by ICBM and whether a missile with a range of 5000 km should be counted as ICBM.

Wouldn't get to Australia, but it would get to Nairobi, Kenya or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

IRBM would probably be more appropriate.

 

[Pengwuino]

Well , it seems to be a great achievement for India technologically . But sad to know that we live in a world where developing countries such as India have to spend so much money on weapons when there are so many problems facing the country such as economic disparity , poverty , hunger and corruption.

How does one relate to the other? There is poverty, hunger, corruption, and economic disparity in every country and there always will be. Every country capable of sending satellites up and probes to other planets have those problems and you can't trade, for example, a space program for an end to any of those issues.

 

[surajt88]

Wouldn't get to Australia, but it would get to Nairobi, Kenya or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

IRBM would probably be more appropriate.

wrong!
m.ibnlive.com/news/agniv-ins-chakra-give-india-a-deadly-punch/250237-3.html

oh wait..did I miss d sarcasm?

 

[Astronuc]

wrong!
m.ibnlive.com/news/agniv-ins-chakra-give-india-a-deadly-punch/250237-3.html

oh wait..did I miss d sarcasm?

Chennai to Darwin 6258.74 km / 3889 sta miles
Chennai to Perth 6278.05 km / 3901 sta miles /

Madurai to Darwin 6280.9 km / 3902 sta miles / 3389.2 naut miles
Madurai to Perth 6062.8 km / 3768 sta miles / 3271.5 naut miles

Distance between Mukundarayar Chathiram (about 182 km / 113 miles SE from Madurai) to Exmouth, W.Aus ~ 3200 estimated

From distance calculator using lat/long (9.226827 N ,79.368668 E to 21.922663 S,114.082031 E)
Distance = 5128 km, 3186 sta miles, 2769 naut miles

Still short.

I was going on the reported range of 5000 km. The question then is whether the 5000 km range is a min or max range. At 6000 km, that's then possible.


Now there may be some islands off the coast that are a bit closer.

Now if one launches from a submarine, that certainly changes the equation, since then one can launch fairly close to most coastlines.

 

[glb_lub]

How does one relate to the other? There is poverty, hunger, corruption, and economic disparity in every country and there always will be. Every country capable of sending satellites up and probes to other planets have those problems and you can't trade, for example, a space program for an end to any of those issues.

True, those issues will always remain. I was looking at it from the wrong perspective.

Anyways there is a lot of confusion over the status of actual military deployment of the missiles. Some sources say that the missiles will be available to the army by end of 2014 and some say that it would be operational only by the end of the decade.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/19/india-missile-china-agni-v

"There's a lot more testing to do. The [Agni-V] may only be deployed by the end of the decade. A lot of the commentary has been over the top," said Manoj Joshi, a security expert and analyst.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agni-V

The Agni-V will be operational by 2014–2015 after four to five repeatable tests by the DRDO.[15]

 

[mege]

What is a "canisterised missile/launch package"?

Nothing in the wiki or the cited articles articulate that, but it's a phrase used throughout.

 

[SHISHKABOB]

What is a "canisterised missile/launch package"?

Nothing in the wiki or the cited articles articulate that, but it's a phrase used throughout.

most likely a MIRV or something similar

 

[chemisttree]

What is a "canisterised missile/launch package"?

Nothing in the wiki or the cited articles articulate that, but it's a phrase used throughout.

It means the system is in a can... it comes with its own launch platform. Easy to deploy by truck, ship or whatever. Can't blow up the launch pad to prevent it's deployment.
Here is a smaller http://www.mikalac.com/mis/pho/patriot_canister.jpg

 

[Rajput9572]

It is because of D.R.D.O. proud for every indian that we hve such type of institute

 

[surajt88]

Chennai to Darwin 6258.74 km / 3889 sta miles
Chennai to Perth 6278.05 km / 3901 sta miles /

Madurai to Darwin 6280.9 km / 3902 sta miles / 3389.2 naut miles
Madurai to Perth 6062.8 km / 3768 sta miles / 3271.5 naut miles

Distance between Mukundarayar Chathiram (about 182 km / 113 miles SE from Madurai) to Exmouth, W.Aus ~ 3200 estimated

From distance calculator using lat/long (9.226827 N ,79.368668 E to 21.922663 S,114.082031 E)
Distance = 5128 km, 3186 sta miles, 2769 naut miles

Still short.

I was going on the reported range of 5000 km. The question then is whether the 5000 km range is a min or max range. At 6000 km, that's then possible.


Now there may be some islands off the coast that are a bit closer.

Now if one launches from a submarine, that certainly changes the equation, since then one can launch fairly close to most coastlines.

Chinese experts have speculated that it has a range of 8000kms.
m.timesofindia.com/articleshow/12742984.cms

[...] can accurately hit
targets more than 5,000 km away.

Though I wouldn't want to see the missile used against any nation, I guess Australia is just in range. The actual range seems to be a suspense though!

 

[Office_Shredder]

Of course it is. If Pakistan isn't in range, seeing how it's a bordering nation, then India would be incapable of hitting anybody with this missile