Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Agni Missiles

Mains level: Not Much

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India has successfully test-fired indigenously-developed new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Odisha coast.

Agni-Prime Missile

Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.
It is the sixth missile in the Agni series of ballistic missile.
It is a two-staged canisterised missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
Many advanced technologies including composites, propulsion systems, innovative guidance and control mechanisms and state-of-the-art navigation systems have been introduced.
Significantly, it weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems
The missile strengthens India’s credible deterrence capabilities.

Back2Basics: Agni Missiles

Agni missiles are long range, nuclear weapons capable surface to surface ballistic missile.
The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and tested in 1989.
After its success, Agni missile program was separated from the IGMDP upon realizing its strategic importance.
It was designated as a special program in India’s defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development.

Variants of Agni missiles

Agni I: It is a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range of 700-800 km.
Agni II: It is also a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range more than 2000 km.
Agni III: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range of more than 2,500 Km
Agni IV: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road mobile launcher.
Agni-V: Currently it is the longest of Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
Agni- VI: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of ICBM 11,000–12,000 km.