India is all set to carry out the first canister-based trial of the 5,000 km-plus nuclear weapons capable Agni-V Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast on January 31.
Pre-mission activities were in full swing at Wheeler Island for the crucial test when the missile would be fired in the “final induction configuration”, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources told The Hindu on Monday.
In view of the long range of the missile, the radars, telemetry and electro-optical tracking systems would be spread out and deployed in a way that there would be “repeatability” of data, the sources added.
High-end telemetry system
A sophisticated high-end telemetry system would be exercised for its full capacity to capture data.
After the successful trial of Agni-V for the second time in September, 2013, DRDO Director General and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister Avinash Chander had then announced that the next launch would be canister-based.
First stage
As a prelude to the actual launch, DRDO missile technologists had in the past conducted ‘Missile Ejection Test’ from a canister in simulated conditions on two occasions when various parameters that would have to be met during the actual trial were validated.
The first stage of the three-stage solid fuelled Agni-V would be ignited at a height of 25-30 metres during the actual launch after a gas generator at the bottom of the canister provides force equivalent to 300-370 tonnes to push the missile to that height.
DRDO sources said the major advantage of canister was that it would provide operational flexibility to the user to launch the missile from anywhere as also easy and safer transportation.
The missile would be inducted after one or two more trials to test the robustness of the system.
A few tests would be enough for a large system, the sources added.
India joined an elite club of nations which possess ICBMs after the maiden launch of Agni-V ended in a roaring success on April 19, 2012.
