Weapons of Air India {Agni-I}

Type             Medium Range Ballistic Missile
Place of origin     India India

Service history
In service         (Tests by DRDO) 25 January 2002,[1] (Tests by SSC) 28 Mar 2010[2][3]
Used by         Indian Army

Production history
Manufacturer         Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
Unit cost         INR 250-350 million (INR) or $ 5.6-7.9 million (USD)[4]

Specifications
Weight             12,000 kg[5][3][6]
Length             15 m[5][3][6]
Diameter         1.0 m[5][6]
Warhead         Strategic nuclear (15 KT to 250 KT), conventional HE-unitary, penetration, sub-munitions, incendiary or fuel air explosives
Engine             Single Stage

Operational
range             700-900 km [5][3]
Flight ceiling         370 km[6]
Flight altitude     > 90 km
Speed             2.5 km/s (Agni-I)[5]

Guidance
system             Ring Laser Gyro- INS (Inertial Navigation System), optionally augmented by GPS terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation

Launch
platform         8 x 8 Tatra TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) Rail Mobile Launcher

The Agni missile (Sanskrit: अग्नि, Agnī "Fire") is a family of Short to Intermediate range ballistic missiles developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.On 28 Mar 2010,the trial was conducted with a special Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile, with a range of 700kilometers from the Wheelers Island off Orissa coast thus making Agni-I missile operational by army.Since then the SFC of the Indian Army has conducted several user trials of Agni-I missile to test its readiness to launch ballistic missiles that carry nuclear warheads. The recent user trials involved the test firing of upgraded version of Agni-I with better re-entry technology, manoeuvrability and range extension of up to 700–900 km.

History and Development

Agni-I was first tested at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur in 1989, and is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or a nuclear warhead. Agni missiles consist of one (short range) or two stages (intermediate range). These are rail and road mobile and powered by solid propellants.

The Agni I has a range of 700–900 km while the Agni-II as a range of 2,000–3,000 km. They are claimed to be a part of the "Minimum Credible deterrence".

Agni-I is a single stage, solid fuel, road and rail mobile, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). The need for the Agni-I was felt after the Kargil war with Pakistan. It took DRDO 18 months to develop the Agni-I after having completed Agni-II development. It is propelled by solid fuel. Maneuvering RV body-lift aerodynamics give it the ability to correct trajectory errors and reduce thermal stresses. The MRV has a velocity correction package to correct launch trajectory variances. Some Agni RV versions use a set of solid fueled thruster cartridges of predetermined impulse, allowing the onboard guidance controller to trim velocity, using discrete combination of impulse quanta along the desired spatial orientation. The 15 metre tall Agni-1 missile, weighing about 12 tonnes, is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads of 1,000 kg.