Giving an edge to the country's strategic strike capability, India today successfully carried out the maiden canister-based trial of its most potent missile Agni-V, which has a strike range of over 5000 kms and can carry a nuclear warhead of over one tonne, off Odisha coast.
The missile was launched from a canister mounted on a road-mobile launcher at Wheeler's Island .
The three stage, solid propellant "missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher from the launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 8.06 hours," ITR Director M V K V Prasad told PTI.
"A gas generator at the bottom of the canister pushed the 17.5 metre long, 50-tonne Agni-V out of the canister. The missile, which can take on targets situated more than 5,000 km away, had a dummy pay-load in today's trial," said a senior defense analyst at the ITR here.
The missile version was stored and launched from a hermetically sealed canister. The steel container was made of maraging steel.
Defence analysts said the canister would make the missile fully road or rail mobile, giving a great deal of secrecy and flexibility to the country's strategic strike capability.
The alternate to using canister is fixed ground-based silos which are vulnerable to surveillance and attack.
"We can transport the missile to anywhere and fire from there. This will give advantage over the rivals. This apart, the canister can keep the missile in appropriate atmosphere," said R K Kar, another missile researchers.
Prasad said the canister version of Agni-5 missile was successfully test launched.
