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RE: Agni-III Launch

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Agni-III missile

Blobrana · L

RE: Agni-III Launch

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India on Wednesday successfully test-fired the 3000 km range Agni-III surface-to-surface nuclear capable missile from Wheelers' Island off Orissa coast.

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India hopes to test a long-range missile with near ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) capabilities - largely the preserve of countries like US, Russia, China, France and UK till now by early next year.
Defence Research and Development Organisation chief controller for missiles, V K Saraswat, said on Monday that the Agni-III-plus missile, with a strike range in excess of 5,000 km, was in the design stage at present.

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An Indonesian passenger jet was forced to turn round in Indian airspace to avoid a nuclear-capable missile test flight, the Indonesian government says.
The Indonesian foreign ministry has demanded an explanation from the India over the incident.
Officials from Garuda airlines say they received no advance notice of the test.
The Indian government says it successfully test-fired the Agni-III surface-to-surface missile off the country's eastern coast on Thursday.

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The Agni III missile test on Sunday morning was a failure according to New Delhi TV (NDTV).
The missile veered off course shortly after it was launched from Wheeler Island off the Bhadrak coast of Oriss.

"The missile after lift-off went vertically to a distance of 12km when the second booster failed to fire, resulting in non-separation of that stage. The missile crashed into the sea without hitting the target" - defence official.

Defence Research and Development Organisation scientists said more trials of the IRBM missile would be conducted in the 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 test flight was witnessed by Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and several senior members of India's defence establishment.
The launch of the missile was described as a routine test, and not sabre-rattling with India's neighbour Pakistan.
It was not immediately clear whether India informed Pakistan ahead of Sunday's test. New Delhi and Islamabad regularly test-fire missiles, but normally only give each other prior notice for long-range launches.

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India's has test fired an Intermediate Range Ballistic Misslie (IRBM) Agni-III on Sunday, 9th July, from a fixed platform at the Wheeler's Island Integrated Test Range (ITR), off the Dhamra coast.

Fitted with an onboard guidance system computer, it took off vertically to splash down near the Nicobar island in the Bay of Bengal.
The surface-to-surface nuclear capable Agni III, with a range of 3,500 km, was launched at 11.05 am, local time.

The missile was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni-III has the capability to carry a 1000 kg a payload .

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The Indian government has decided to cancel the first test-firing of its Agni III inter-continental ballistic missile.
According to an Asia Times Online report `The U.S.-backed Missile Technology Control Regime seeks to prevent the proliferation of missiles capable of delivering an 1,100-pound payload over distances of more than 180 miles`.
The Agni III test launch would also send the "wrong signals" to the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting in Rio de Janeiro in June.

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According to India's top military scientist, Dr M. Natrajan, the country's Agni-III ballistic missile is ready for a test launch.

The 3-stage solid/liquid-fuel Agni-III (Fire) nuclear-capable ballistic missile has an official range of 4,000 kilometres.
The ballistic missile can be deployed through rail, road or Submarine launches and has a capacity for a 600 kg to 1,800-kilogram payload
India has been putting off tests of the Agni-III since November 2004 because of concerns it could spark an arms race with Pakistan.

IMAGE (137kb, 724 x 1866)

56kb Video stream of a Agni-III launch.

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