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| Specifications of the India's Agni-4 Ballistic Missile With a Range of 4,000 Km Nuclear Charge |
New Delhi - Agni-4 is India's Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) which has a range of between 3,500 to 4,000 km. The two-stage solid-fuel Agni-4 ballistic missile can carry a payload of 1,000 kg.
The Agni-4 ballistic missile was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
Quoted from Missilethreat, India has conducted Agni-IV flight tests eight times since its first test in 2010. The Agni-4 ballistic missile has a length of 20 meters and a diameter of 1.2 meters at the bottom and weighs 17,000 kg.
The first stage of the Agni-4 missile uses a 1.2 meter diameter steel-sheathed first stage. Also Read Differences between Hypersonic Missiles and Ballistic Missiles, Which is More Powerful? The second stage of the Agni-4 missile is sheathed in carbon fiber with a diameter of approximately 1 meter to produce an average thrust of 710 and 39.5 kN respectively.
The Agni-4 missile uses an inertial guidance system with a ring laser gyroscope and a flexseal thrust vector system to control its orientation in flight. According to the Indian defense ministry, the missile is accurate to a probable circular error (CEP) of less than 100 meters at a range of 4,000 km.
The Agni-4 missile is capable of loading both nuclear and conventional warheads, and has reportedly been tested with conventional and part-assembled nuclear charges in tests. The Strategic Forces Command previously conducted user trials of the Agni-4 missile in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The most recent test was carried out on 6 June 2022 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
"The successful test reaffirms India's policy of having a 'Credible Minimum Deterrence' Capability," the Indian Ministry of Defense said.
The Strategic Forces Command is operationally responsible for all of India's nuclear assets. The presence of the Agni-4 missile allows India to launch nuclear missiles from land, air and from submarines. This makes India one of the few countries that have a nuclear triad.