27-Oct-2021: Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, successfully launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island
A successful launch of the Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, was carried out on October 27, 2021 at approximately 1950 hrs. from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile, which uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy.
The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.
10-Dec-2018: Agni-V successfully test-fired.
India successfully test-fired nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-V. The missile was launched from a canister on a road mobile-launcher from Dr. Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha.
This is the third successful launch of Agni-V this year and the fifth launch of the missile in a canister form. The missile was earlier tested in January and June this year.
Agni-V is an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a strike range of over 5,000 km and can reach most parts of China. The mission critical avionics were indigenously designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.
All the mission objectives were successfully achieved. This launch comes after a series of successful launches of the missile. It further strengthens the country’s deterrence capability, which has been developed indigenously by assiduous efforts of scientists.
The launch was a user-assisted trial and the launch operations were carried out and monitored by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) in presence of scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Agni series of missiles constitute the backbone of India’s nuclear weapons delivery which also includes the Prithvi short-range ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft. The submarine-based nuclear arsenal which assures second strike capability in the face of the proclaimed No-First-Use policy is taking shape with INS Arihant completing its first deterrence patrol recently.
14-Jul-2018: Agni V test-fired
India's indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile 'Agni-5' was successfully test-launched from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. This was the fourth and final test of the missile. The missile, with a strike range of 6,000 km, will balance out China's military muscle. It will give India long-range strike capability.
Here's what makes it unique:
- The Agni V is an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,500 to 5,800 km.
- Agni V is nuclear capable, with a payload capacity of 1,500 kg of high-explosive warhead.
- It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
- It is the fifth variant in the series of medium to long range Agni missiles. Agni I, II, III have already been inducted for military use.
- The successful induction of Agni V will give India long-range strike capability.
- The missile has previously been tested in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
- Once the Agni-V is inducted, India will join the super exclusive club of countries with ICBMs (missiles with a range of over 5,000-5,500km) alongside the US, Russia, China, France and the UK.
- Agni-V is capable of striking even the northernmost parts of China.
It was launched around 11.05 a.m. from a mobile launcher complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
The missile is developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. The Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V has the capability to strike targets anywhere in all of Asia and parts of Africa and Europe.
Agni-V is one of the most advanced missiles, which is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km. It is about 17 metres long, 2-metre wide and has launch weight of around 50 tonnes.
The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.
Once the Agni-V is inducted in the Indian military, India will join the super exclusive club of countries with ICBMs alongside the US, Russia, China, France and Britain.
The first test of Agni-V was conducted on April 19, 2012, while the second test was launched on September 15, 2013 and the third was on January 31, 2015.
1-Jul-2018: India’s most potent missile Agni-V to be inducted soon
India’s longest-range ballistic missile, Agni-V, will be inducted into the nuclear arsenal very soon. Agni-V is an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) with a range of over 5,000 km and can reach most parts of China. It is a strategic asset which will act as a deterrent.
The missile features the latest technologies for navigation and improved accuracy. Earlier variants of the Agni family of long-range missiles have already been deployed.
Last month, the canisterised variant of the missile was successfully test-fired by the user, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). A few more user trials are planned in the next few weeks.
The Agni series of missiles constitute the backbone of India’s nuclear weapons delivery, which also includes the Prithvi short-range ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft. The submarine-based nuclear arsenal, which assures second strike capability in the face of the proclaimed No-First-Use policy, is taking shape.
While one nuclear ballistic missile has been inducted, more submarines and longer range submarine-launched ballistic missiles are under various stages of development.
27-Sep-2021: Successful Maiden Flight Test of Akash Prime Missile
A new version of the Akash Missile – ‘Akash Prime’ has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha on 27 September 2021. The missile intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial target mimicking enemy aircrafts, in its maiden flight test after improvements.
In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy. Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low temperature environments at higher altitudes. Modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has been used for the current flight test. The range stations of ITR comprising Radars, Electro Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry stations monitored the missile trajectory and flight parameters.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) and industry for the successful trials of Akash Prime Missile. He stated that the successful flight test proves the competence of DRDO in design and development of world class Missile systems.
Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the team for the successful flight trial of Akash Prime Missile. He said that the Akash Prime system will further boost the confidence of the users (Indian Army and Indian Air Force) as the Akash system is already inducted and now getting improved with more lethal missiles.
24-Aug-2021: First batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades handed over to Indian Army
The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) following Transfer of Technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), was handed over to the Indian Army in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in Nagpur, Maharashtra on August 24, 2021.
Chairman of EEL Shri S N Nuwal handed over a scale replica of MMHG to the Raksha Mantri to mark the first delivery of ammunition from the private sector. Chief of the Army Staff General M M Naravane, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy and DG Infantry Lt Gen A K Samantra were among those present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Rajnath Singh termed the handing over of MMHG as a shining example of the increasing collaboration between the public & private sectors and a big step towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. “Today is a memorable day in the history of Indian defence sector. Our private industry is coming of age when it comes to defence production. It is an important milestone not only in the field of defence manufacturing, but also in achieving ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ as envisioned by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” he said. The Raksha Mantri lauded DRDO & EEL for the speedy delivery of the order amidst COVID-19 restrictions and hoped of a faster delivery of the next lot.
The Raksha Mantri listed out the measures undertaken by the Government to transform the defence sector into a self-reliant industry which can cater to the present and the future needs of the Armed Forces. These include setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; formulation of draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020; earmarking around 64 per cent of its modernisation funds under capital acquisition budget for 2021-22 for procurement from domestic companies; notifying two Positive Indigenisation Lists of over 200 defence items to promote self-reliance & defence exports; Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB); increasing FDI limit from 49 to 74 per cent under automatic route and beyond 74 per cent through government route and according top priority to 'Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}' category for capital procurement.
Shri Rajnath Singh made special mention of another initiative taken by the Government, i.e., Technology Transfer to Industries by DRDO. Describing the measure as the backbone of the defence industry, he lauded DRDO for being an incubator which is undertaking free of cost transfer of technologies as well as providing access to testing facilities and over 450 patents. This has not only enabled the Industry to use ready-to-use technologies, but has also saved time, energy and money, he said.
The Raksha Mantri also underlined the importance of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) saying that it aims to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technology development in defence and aerospace sectors by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia. Under this initiative, the problems being faced by the Armed Forces, Defence Public Sector Undertakings and OFB are identified and brought before entrepreneurs, MSMEs, start-ups and innovators through Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) to find solutions.
Shri Rajnath Singh commended the Industry for indigenously developing products like ‘Multi-Mode Grenade’, 'Arjun-Mark-1' tank, 'Unmanned Surface Vehicle' and 'See Through Armor'. “Such products are not just being produced but exported on a large scale. The number of online export authorisations during 2016-17 to 2018-19 was 1,210. It has increased to 1,774 in last two years. This has resulted in defence exports of over Rs 17,000 crore in the last two years,” he added. Shri Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that soon India will manufacture defence products not just for domestic use, but for the whole world.
The grenade is not just more lethal, but is safer to use. It has a distinctive design that gives flexibility of employment in both defensive (fragmentation) and offensive (stun) modes. It has a highly accurate delay time, very high reliability in usage and safe for carriage. These new grenades will replace Grenade No 36 of World War I vintage design, which had been continuing in service till date.
The EEL had signed a contract with Ministry of Defence on October 01, 2020 to supply 10 lakh modern hand grenades for Indian Army and Indian Air Force. The deliveries would be spread over two years from the bulk production clearance, which was accorded to EEL in March 2021. The first order has been delivered within five months.
The EEL had taken the technology from DRDO in 2016, absorbed it successfully while maintaining very high quality in detonics. Extensive trials were successfully undertaken by the Indian Army and Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) in 2017-18 in plains, deserts and high altitude over summer & winter.