News: India has successfully test-fired its intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-5 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.
About Agni-5 Ballistic Missile
- It is a land based nuclear-capable long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of 5000 km.
- It is the most advanced missile in the Agni series, which forms the backbone of India’s land-based nuclear deterrent.
- Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- Key features
- Warheads: The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of up to 1.5 tones.
- Materials used: It is built with lightweight composite materials, which improves its efficiency and reliability.
- Propulsion: The missile uses a three-stage, solid-fuel propulsion system.
- Launching platform: It is launched from a canisterized platform, which allows for rapid deployment, easier storage, and enhanced mobility.
- Technology: It is equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which would allow a single missile to deliver multiple warheads at different targets, dramatically enhancing its strategic effectiveness.
- For pinpoint accuracy, it uses a ring laser gyroscope-based inertial navigation system (RLG-INS) and a micro-inertial navigation system (MINGS), supported by satellite navigation systems like India’s NavIC.
