Army test-fires nuclear capable 4,000 km-range Agni IV missile

Balasore (Odisha): India on Sunday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army. The strategic surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island, at about 8.35 am, Defence sources said.

Describing the trial as a "complete success", they said all mission objectives were met during the test-fire. All radars, tracking systems and range stations tracked and monitored the flight performance of the missile, which was launched with support of a mobile launcher.

Radars and electro-optical systems had been positioned along the coast of Odisha for tracking and monitoring all parameters of the missile, the sources said, adding two naval ships were anchored near the target area to witness the final event. This was the 7th trial of Agni IV missile.

The last trial conducted by the strategic force command (SFC) of the Indian Army from the same base on January 2, 2018 was successful. The indigenously developed sophisticated Agni IV having 4,000 km strike range is a two-stage missile. It is 20 meter long with a weight of 17 tonnes, they said.

"The state-of-the-art missile is equipped with modern and compact avionics to provide high level of reliability and precision," Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said. Agni IV missile is equipped with advanced Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture. It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in -flight disturbances, they said.