Third Launch of Agni-III and Hainan

Barely five days after the detection and exposure of Communist China's nuclear submarine base at Hainan Island, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the Golden Launch of AGNI 3 missile system at 09:56 hours on May 07, 2008, from the Wheeler Island, about 12 kms from Dhamra, off the Orissa Coast. The missile has a range of 3000 kms

The Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing) press release stated: "It was a text book launch and followed the trajectory with single digit guidance accuracy.  All the subsystems of the missile functioned in a copybook manner giving an outstanding
integrated performance of the missile in terms of range and accuracy".  The missile reached the pre-designated target in a time of 800 seconds, travelling through a peak height of 350 km with a velocity of more than 4000 metres/second.  Two Indian
Naval Ships positioned near the target location South of equator, have confirmed the impact of the missile. This is the third flight test in the series of AGNI-3,
which was carried out to establish the repeatability of missile performance.

The missile system is equipped with sophisticated navigation, guidance and control systems along with advanced distributed architecture based on board
computer systems.  The electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration, thermal and acoustic effects.  A high performance indigenous Ring Laser Gyro based
Navigation System has been flight tested for the first time in AGNI Missile Systems. The missile was tracked by various telemetry stations, electro optic systems and radars located along the coast, Port Blair and by the downrange ships positioned near the target location.  The data from the various stations is transmitted in real time through an advanced communication network of DRDO for online performance evaluation and range safety.

AGNI III missile is a two stage solid propellant system with a length of 17 metres, diameter of 2 metres and launch weight of  50 tons, and carries a payload of 1.5 tons.  The missile re-enters into the atmosphere with a very high velocity and experiences a deceleration of more than 35 g and a temperature of more than 2500 °C.  The payload is protected by Carbon-Carbon all composite heat shield.  The AGNI-III is a rail mobile system capable of being launched from any where in India.

The complete integration and launch activities were carried out under the leadership of AGNI Programme Director Avinash Chander, who said that, with this flight, the
developmental flights of AGNI 3 are complete and the system is ready for induction. The launch was witnessed by M Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister, Sundaram Krishnan, Advisor to Defence Minister,  Shekhar Dutt, Deputy National Security Advisor, Dr V.K. Saraswat, Chief Controller (R&D) and other senior officials of the Armed Forces.  Defence Minister A.K. Antony congratulated the Mission Director and all the scientists of DRDO.

While the launch, in DRDO's Golden Jubilee year, has put India into a select group of countries with IRBM capabilities and added yet another dimension to
India's national deterrence, it remains to be seen how effective this deterrence capability will be in the light of China's nuclear arsenal, along with its latest detected submarine fleet. The Indian Express of May 03, 2008, states that China has deployed its latest Jin class nuclear submarine at a massive new military facility at Sanya on the Hainan
Island in South China Sea — its newest and nearest naval base to India. The location of the base off Hainan will also give the submarines access to very deep water — exceeding 15,000 feet — within a few miles, making them harder to detect. Two 1,000-yard piers and three smaller ones could accommodate two carrier strike groups or amphibious assault ships.

Chinese nuclear submarines have never yet operated in the Indian Ocean but the facility which is 2,000 nautical miles away from the Andaman Islands will be its nearest access point to the region. The deployment of the Jin class submarine at Hainan may motivate India to speed up its indigenous nuclear submarine project that has been in the making for the past decade. The Indian Navy is looking at inducting five indigenous ATV nuclear submarines. However, sea trials for the first sub are set to begin only by next year. In the meantime, India is leasing an Akula II nuclear attack submarine from Russia next year to initiate the training process for its personnel. While India, whose nuclear warhead count is not known, it will need to factor China’s total nuclear arsenal.
 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views either of the Editorial Committee or the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.