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Improved Agni test-firing soon

By P. Balu The Asian Age 16 July 1998

Hyderabad: The defence ministry has ordered that the upgraded version of the intermediate range ballistic missile Agni be tested in August. The decision was conveyed to Defence Research Development Organisation scientists during a recent meeting with scientific adviser to the defence minister A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, it is learnt.

The upgraded version of the missile will have a range of 2,000 km with a 1,000-kg warhead and a longer reach with a smaller warhead. Agni has already been tested successfully over a range of 1500 km with a reported circle error of probability of 40 metres, making it one of the most accurate missiles in its class.

CEP is the measurement used to define the accuracy of a missile in hitting its target. After a series of "technology demonstrator" tests in 1994, the Narasimha Rao government stopped further testing of the missile, reportedly under pressure from the United States government.

Bhaba Atomic Research Centre and DRDO here have been working together in fine tuning the design of the missile's third stage - the one that carries a warhead - to make it nuclear weapon-compatible.

Though sources say the chances are remote, indications are that one of the two missiles that are to be tested might even carry a live miniature nuclear warhead - mainly to test the compatibility of the missile's third stage with nuclear warheads in a "real situation" and the effects of vibrations and gravitational forces on the weapon.

The present variant of the missile is different from the technology demonstrator version that had a solid fuel-liquid fuel-payload configuration, with the liquid fuel stage being replaced by another solid fuel stage. Not only does the elimination of the liquid fuel stage increase the missile's range, but also eliminates the need for cumbersome and often risky preparations that go into making a liquid-fuelled missile ready for launch. Incidentally, missiles driven on solid fuels are easier to store and, more importantly, transport, compared to liquid-fuelled missiles that need a host of support vehicles and can be loaded with the fuel only a short while before planned launch.

Even as preparations are said to be apace for the testing of Agni, it is learnt that facilities to produce the solid fuel stages have been increased clearly marking an urgency in not only fully developing the longer range Agni but also for beginning serial production.

It is learnt that DRDO scientists have been asked to produce at least one improved Agni every month against the one-every-three-months schedule earlier. Though international sanctions after the country's nuclear tests earlier this year put a cloud on the missile programme, sources say that some critical components were stock-piled as a squeeze on supplies was a very real threat even in the absence of nuclear testing.