India tests 4,000-km-rage Agni-IV missile

India, in the continuing tests of its domestically manufactured nuclear-capable missile arsenal, this morning test-fired its 4,000 km-range Agni-IV missile off the coast of Odisha this morning. It is the third test-firing of the missile, which has the second-largest striking range in country's weapon arsenal.

According to  its developer Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agni -IV is a quantum leap in terms of missile technology, with lighter weight, two stages of solid propulsion, and a payload with re-entry heat shield.

The Agni-IV surface-to-surface missile which is capable of hitting targets 4,000 km away. This is the third test-firing of the missile, which has the second-largest striking range in country's weapon arsenal.

The nuclear-capable missile, capable of carrying a 1 tonne warhead, was fired from a mobile launcher at the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast, near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, sources said.

The 20-meter tall new generation missile weighs around 17 tonne and has two stages of solid propulsion. It is considered to be one of its kinds in the world.

The indigenous Ring Laser Gyros based high accuracy INS (RINS) and Micro Navigation System (MINGS) complementing each other in redundant mode have been successfully flown in guidance mode in this weapon system during earlier trials.

Compared to the Pershing missile of the US in terms of technology, the Agni-4 has many cutting-edge technologies which can meet global standards.

The trials of Agni-IV missile was last conducted from the same defence base on 29 September 2012.

According to the DRDO this missile, which is lighter in weight and has two stages of solid propulsion and a payload with re-entry heat shield, marks a quantum leap in terms of missile technology.

The DRDO also, recently, successfully test-fired twice an inter-continental ballistic missile, Agni-5, which has a range of over 5,500km.