Indian agni-iii intermediate-range ballistic missile nighttime trial fails

ASIA DEFENSE | SECURITY | SOUTH ASIA The Agni-III‘s inaugural nighttime trial ended in failure. Indian officials are investigating the cause. On Sunday, the Indian Army conducted what was

reported to be the first-ever night user trial of the Agni III nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile. The test apparently failed during  flight. “The Strategic Forces Command

of the Indian Army conducted the first night trial of the missile from launch pad-IV of the Integrated Test Range in Bhadrak district at 7.17 p.m.,” _Live Mint__ _reported, citing Indian

defense sources. The _New Indian Express_, citing a “highly placed source,” reported that the test had failed. The cause of the failure was unidentified, but the failure occurred after the

separation of the missile‘s first stage. “The missile travelled around 115 km into its initial flight trajectory when things went awry. It deviated from the flight path forcing the mission

team to terminate it midway,” the source said, according to the report. According to _The Print_, Indian officials are analyzing the launch failure to better understand the cause of failure.

“We will have to analyse all information gathered to really say what happened,” a source, identified as a “top government official,” told _The Print_. The test took place off India’s main

strategic missile testing range at Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of the state of Odisha. Night trial are meant to test the operational readiness of Indian missile crews during

less-than-ideal conditions. Developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Agni III was designed to hold at risk targets in all of Pakistan and much of China

from across Indian territory. According to the U.S. Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center, fewer than 10 Agni III rail-mobile launchers had been deployed by 2017. The Agni III

is a two-stage, solid-propellant missile deployed in rail-mobile mode. It is estimated to have a range of more than 3,200 kilometers depending on its payload weight, according to the U.S.

Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center. India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the organizational responsible for the operation of Indian nuclear forces, has overseen night

trials of the shorter-range Agni-II medium-range ballistic missile and the Agni-I short-range ballistic missile in recent months. As _The Diplomat _previously reported, the Agni-II underwent

a successful night trial — its first — on November 16. The Agni-I saw a successful night trial — its reported second after a first publicized in April 2014 — in November 2018. In February

2018, a Prithvi short-range ballistic missile was also launched as part of a nighttime user trial. The Prithvi is the shortest range of these missiles, with its variants capable of

delivering nuclear payloads to ranges between 150 and 350 kilometers.