ADS

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Update: AGNI-II fails to deliver desired results ?


In a step towards making the 2,000-km-plus Agni-II fully operational, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) conducted a "training test-firing'' of the nuclear-capable missile on Tuesday. Initially it was announced by Indian media that India has successfully tested the nuclear capable Agni-II missile from a defence base in Orissa, official sources said.The surface-to-surface missile with a range of over 2,000 km was test fired from the Wheeler’s Island near Dhamara in the district of Bhadrak, some 150 km from here at 10.06 a.m. “It was a user trial,” the sources said, adding that the aim of the test was to give the Army confidence to fire the missile on its own.


Update: Another repeat telecast of Agni-III and Brahmos episode? Where tests were announced as successful until they were proved failure by the media?


Agni-II, India's nuclear strike capability ballistic missile has reportedly failed to deliver desired result. The trial was conducted from Wheeler Island, part of the integrated test range of Orissa coast on Tuesday at about 10 am. Reliable sources at the Wheelers Island said the countdown was normal, liftoff was smooth and then disaster struck as the 2000 kms plus range Agni-II missile instead of traveling on the pre-determined trajectory started wandering midway. The missile deviated from its path after the first stage separation and was meandering at an angle of 180 degree midway. Though it was coordinated to cover a distance of nearly 2000 km, within just 127 seconds it covered 203 km before plunging into the sea, said the source. The guidance system can correct the missiles midway path deviation if it behaves erratically at an angle of 40 to 60 degree but not beyond that, said a defence scientist. The disaster might have happened due to design and manufacturing faults, he added. Similarly on July 9, 2006, the maiden test of Agni-III had failed to achieve the target as technical snags were reported during the separation of the first and the second stage. Agni-II missile was first tested on April 11, 1999, and inducted in the Army in 2004. The trial was conducted by the Army while scientists from DRDO provided the necessary logistical support. The unfortunate development will have a telling effect on the morale of the Army, said analysts.Several attempts to contact Agni project director, Avinash Chander and ITR director, S P Dash turned futile. There was no official word even from DRDO on the test. We are still analyzing the statistics about the flight performance and data from the launch pad and the three tracking stations are being thoroughtly examined, said a scientist, who is part of the missile programme. Several defence analysts have criticized the DRDO for the failure.“Agni project is an established project. In the deployment stage if the missile behaves like this, can we afford to hold the country to ransom security-wise. There should be some sort of accountability from scientists doing the research and development of the DRDO,” said an analyst.

20 comments:

Chill out buddy! This is what happens when you develop something. Only our neighbors with their imported systems can have no failures and operationalize systems after a single test. Obviously everyone else in the world has to struggle like us and suffer setbacks.
In any case Agni1/2 represents the first generation of our missiles. I have been always skeptical of its space rocket derived, pencil thin elongated structure.
BTW this news of Agni2 test failure is yet to be corroborated from any reliable source.

No matter how much Pakistanis like to deny it but they cant hide their missiles that look clones of Chinese and North Korean missiles.
American, Russian, Chinese and Indian missiles don't even remotely resemble each other. This is what happens when you develop indigenous capability, it gives your system a unique character and makes them distinguishable from the rest.

No offensive comments

No rubbish language

If you can’t keep it civilized don’t participate here

As far as the sources are concerned you can see that till now only Indian sources doubting the results of tests no one else

"Agni-II fired, jury still out on test's success"

NEW DELHI: In a step towards making the 2,000-km-plus Agni-II fully operational, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) conducted a "training
test-firing'' of the nuclear-capable missile on Tuesday.

Though the test was conducted from Wheeler Island, near Dhamra off the Orissa coast, at about 10.05 am, defence officials till late evening were reluctant to dub the test "fully successful''.

"The missile launch did take off properly but it's difficult to say whether the complete test was successful in meeting all the laid-down flight objectives,'' said a senior official.

"It can be called a success or a failure only after a detailed analysis of telemtry data generated by the flight-test. It was a completely user-driven trial, with the Army missile unit under the SFC conducting the test,'' he added.

The test is significant since it is the first "training user-trial'' of Agni-II, which weighs 17 tonnes and can carry a 1.15-tonne payload or warhead, to give soldiers the requisite capability to fire the surface-to-surface missile on its own without the help of defence scientists.

The tri-Service SFC has already undertaken the "training trials'' of 700-km Agni-I, designed to plug the operational gap between Prithvi (150-350 km) and Agni-II missiles.

SFC, as also the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA), were created in January 2003 to ensure proper command and control structures around India's nuclear arsenal after the 10-month troop mobilisation along the Indo-Pak border under `Operation Parakram' in the wake of the December 2001 Parliament attack.

NCA's political council led by the PM is the "sole body which can authorise the use of nuclear weapons'', with the SFC tasked with executing such directives.

The only nuclear-capable ballistic missile which can be said to be 100% operational as of now is the short-range Prithvi missile. Though Agni-I and Agni-II are being inducted into the armed forces, it will take some time for them to become "fully-operational in the numbers required''.

The fourth test of 3,500-km Agni-III, which will give India the strategic capability to hit targets deep inside China is also on the anvil now.

But Agni-III, tested successfully only twice in April 2007 and May 2008, will also not be ready for induction before 2012. Development of the country's most ambitious strategic missile with near ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) capabilities, the 5,000-km range Agni-V, is also underway to ensure its first test is conducted by 2010-2011 or so.

Agni-II fired, jury still out on test's success - India - The Times of India

I am too little confused about this episode of success and failure and is waiting for the some official clarification and that’s the reason why I am not commenting on the issue

In WAR; working weapons are a must, it does not matter where their origins are! India can claim they make self made weapons that dont work. Even Indian self made weapons use alot of foreign compononts and expertise.

Indian defence force go somewhere else. Indian newspapers have reported it just google missle and date you will find other sources, Go to trishul blog, even that guy is discussing it.

Type99, The difference in indigenous and imported capability is design experience. Pak missiles if they have the range they claim, then they should be able to place a small sat in space like the Iranians have done. Either Pakistan lacks the capability to even modify these systems or they are hesitant to demonstrate their rocket capability which would show that it is just where India was with its puny rockets in 1983.

Dont you consider money as a factor? Money cannot just be spent to satisfy the ego's of nation and get one up on India or you, by placing a satelite in space. Pakistan is not a first world, thus it uses proven designs that work. Geez, people like to talk about indeginous this and that, without relising why reinvent the wheel? Dont you know the meaning of reverse engineering, when you do that you gain the experience. Maybe you feel its good that "incredible India" does not have a worth missile force, its good for Pak and China to see India delivery systems are not upto scratch.

Also why you are questioning the range of missiles? Have you any solid evidence or just speculating?

Type 99, The indigenous effort has given India a no-nonsense and profitable space program. That India today can launch its spy satellites and run profitable communication sat & Meteorology sat network has benefits beyond just satisfying ego.
There is a difference in having design capability that comes with indigenous effort and just having manufacturing capability that comes with imported technology. This is why India and even China are persistently pursuing development of indigenous turbofans(what you call reinventing the wheel) despite having local manufacture of imported engines available. Also note that availability of imported technology has not made developing indigenous tech easy cos you just cant import design capability.
I have doubts over range of Pak IRBMs because the missiles they are derived from advertise lesser range. It seems Pakistan has a religious obligation to state ranges to match those of Indian missiles.

Stop touting India's successes look at every other newspost on this blog, a number cite Indian foreign purchases. "Religous obligations to state ranges" lol, why should I responsed to prejudiced view of Pakistan. You have no evidence, just speculation based on prejudice. Missles can be improved, plus importantly we dont know nothing about propellant and reliable info on warhead. Chinese use bigger nuke warheads compared to pak, thus have less range. I am not gonna say cited range is 100% true because I and you dont know, but I am happy it is proven technology. When did I say having a space industry is bad or talked about indian space industry, just said no money for it at moment for Pak. Pakistan just needs a mininum deterent and they have that.

Type99, no offense buddy. But my statements are based on historic facts. When Pakistan first tested Ghauri 1 they declared a range of 1500km, though according to them the test range was much less. Sure a missile can have a wide range depending on the payload but why they chose the figure of 1500? Because India had declared the same range for Agni years ago. Same thing happened in 1999. After India tested Agni 2 for the first time for a test range of 2200km, Pakistan responded within three days with Ghauri 2( which was indistinguishable from Ghauri 1). Though the test range was stated <1500km, the missile was declared as a 2300km range BM.
If not a religious there are obvious political motives behind stating such figures.

ASIAN DEFENCE said... As far as the sources are concerned you can see that till now only Indian sources doubting the results of tests no one else

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/05/20112107/AGNIII-fails-to-deliver-desir.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Agni-II-fired-jury-still-out-on-tests-success/articleshow/4552923.cms

ASIAN DEFENCE said... I am too little confused about this episode of success and failure and is waiting for the some official clarification and that’s the reason why I am not commenting on the issue

I don’t know what part of these statement was not understandable

Anonymous @May 23, 2009 11:49 AM and May 23, 2009 8:10 AM

India currently have huge edge over Pakistan in space technology and is likely to retain that in future.

As far as Gahuri-1 is concerned it is tested at ranges of around 1100km+ (although rnage figures of 1500 km are claimed its rnge in current configuration is 1300km )and Ghauri-2 is larger or you can say stretched version of Ghauri-1 was an effort to compete with shaheen-2 by KRL. It has been tested to range of 1800km.Missiles are not always required to be tested to their maximum ranges.

What ever we have to develop them for our defense .. we have them... and we master this technology now. If u wanna satisfy ur failure with the excuse that its just because u r making them on ur own thats y u r failing then son ... it is pathetic even to the standard of the countries who evolved from home grown tech ...

thanks for RUSSIAN help, always

india is ahead few steps of pakistan,now israelis are helping

them to become super power, in that

region, we are keeping an eye on

them, thanks for chinese help
and local manufacturing

Look Indians!

I am sorry if I hurt your feelings but I would like to tell you one thing. Making indigenous things is good but you should do some sharing to get knowledge to make things by yourself.

That is what India is now doing with Russia.The are making Brahmos-II if I am not mistaken.

That is what Pakistan did decades ago with our true friend China.We got experience and we are now capable of making nukes by ourselves. And also one thing, we do not need a satellite really because we only want to save our country.

I think you should also think of protecting your country rather than testing and failures because country comes first. Technology is useless if does not help at time.

I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

DRDO: A chequered year



Hemant Kumar Rout



But misfortune struck the country’s elite organisation in the same month when the 2000-km plus range missile Agni-II plunged into the sea before covering the pre-coordinated path and meeting the mission parameters. The missile deviated from its path after the first stage separation and wandered at an angle of 180 degree midway. Though it was coordinated for a distance of nearly 2000 km, it covered only 203 km. The DRDO had to face severe criticism from various quarters as the missile again tested in November failed to deliver desired results. As the twin tests were conducted by the user (Indian Army) ended in failure, several defence analysts raised concern about its deployment during war.

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