AGNI 5 - India's deadliest 5000 km range intercontinental ballistic nuclear missile (MIRV)

Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile in development by India. It greatly expands India's reach to take out targets in all Arab countries and China

The Agni-V ballistic missile is a three stage solid fueled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage. Two stages of this agni-5 missile will be made of composite material. Agni-V inter-continental missile will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against Anti-ballistic missile systems (MIRV).

According to one of the India's senior defence scientists, Dr M Natrajan, DRDO is working on an upgraded version of the Agni III known as the Agni-V (Earlier known as Agni-III* (Agni-III star) and Agni-IV). The missile will have a range of about 6000 km. In September 2010, DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat confirmed that the first test flight will be conducted in 2011. The missile will be tested for the first time in September 2011

India's agni-v missile will utilize a canister and will be launched from it. Sixty percent of the missile will be similar to the Agni-III missile. Advanced technologies like ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer will be used in the new missile.
In many other respects, the Agni-5, which is scheduled to make its first flight in early-2011, carries forward the Agni-3 pedigree. With composites used extensively to reduce weight, and a third stage added on (the Agni-3 was a two-stage missile), the Agni-5 can fly 1,500 km further than the 3,500-km Agni-3.

"The Agni-5 MIRV ICBM missile is specially tailored for road-mobility," explains Avinash Chander, Director, ASL. "With the canister having been successfully developed, all India's future land-based strategic missiles will be canisterised as well".

Made of maraging steel, a canister must provide a hermitically sealed atmosphere that preserves the missile for years. During firing, the canister must absorb enormous stresses when a thrust of 300 to 400 tonnes is generated to eject the 50-tonne missile.

"You can reduce the payload and (further) increase the range of Agni-V" Saraswat told the Reuters in Feb 2010.

Another major technological breakthrough that will beef up the Agni-5 ICBM missile is ASL's success in developing and testing MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). A MIRV, atop an Agni-5 missile, comprises three to 10 separate nuclear warheads. Each warhead can be assigned to a separate target, separated by hundreds of kilometres; alternatively, two or more warheads can be assigned to one target.

DRDO had announced that Agni-5 missile would be test fired in 2010. It was not test fired in 2010. However it will be test fired in 2011. Defence Minister A.K Antony said the missile is ready for testing. As per DRDO almost 90% of the works are finished and is in final tuning and check phase.

The agni 5 Missile is also called K-V+ /XV. DRDO is working on a Submarine Launched Version of the Agni-V missile, which will provide India with a credible sea based second strike capability. The SLBM version is a miniaturized version of the Agni-V.