Agni & Prithvi Ballistic Missiles : News & Discussions

Right. I think the first few tests were Hot launch but later they switched to Cold launch system in recent years
If I’m not wrong the first test was conventional hot launch

Well yes...
All tests without a canister were hot launch?
You can't and don't need to cold launch a missile without a canister.
 
is it agni 1 or 2 replacement?
can the modified prime be launched from existing arihant or does it already exist?
 
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4A2.jpg



Has fins on the warhead, same as agni 2
 
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Also unless I am missing something. This rocket motor looks new and hasn't been used on any previous missile.
I thought its the same which was developed for K-4 and was also used for ASAT.
But comparing both shows the difference.

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If you look carefully at TEL Which is based on Tatra truck it looks like it can carry 2 Agni 1 prime missiles and has a salvo feature. The next numbers too support this. 12 tons multiply by 2 24tons and supporting equipments which should be around 30-35 tons. That's the payload of Tatra truck....😊
@safriz it's double trouble for Pakistan...😊

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The warhead seems to be the same as used on Agni 3 and Agni 5 and possibly also on Agni 4.
It's a 1.4 meter wide design.

Since warhead is far more expensive than missile, usually the missile is built for the warhead design available, not otherwise .

Since they all carry just 1 warhead, it makes sense to standardise with 1 operational design of each type of warhead. Whether that really is the case, I don't know.
 
Since they all carry just 1 warhead, it makes sense to standardise with 1 operational design of each type of warhead. Whether that really is the case, I don't know.
At around half a billion USD per warhead of Strategic yield, it also makes financial sense.
 
At the time there's no video available.
We can only analyse the few pictures available, with some assumptions.

Assumption 1.
The missile is supposed to be of Strategic yield, not sub-strategic like Prithvi, so it must have a matching warhead.


Assumption 2.
The missile is pure ballistic and not quasi ballistic like Prithvi or K-14.
So the terminal velocity must be far higher . So it must have a matching warhead.

Assumption 3.
Agni-1 and Agni-2 have older design warhead, which has a taller design and not fit for miniaturised design of Agni prime.

Conclusion 1.
Looking at the above arguments, Agni prime must be using the same warhead which was flight tested originally on Agni 3, then used on Agni 5 and Agni 4.
Purpose built for very high reentry speeds, and of Strategic yield despite being shorter than the ones used on Agni 1 and 2.

Conclusion 2.
From previous analysis, I am pretty sure that Agni 5 warhead is 1.4 meters wide at the base .

Armed with that info I have taken the warhead size as the main criteria for size comparison of the missiles.
Assuming that both A5 and AP are using the same warhead . Here is the size comparison.

Polish_20210630_003124347.jpg
 
Considering A-1P is the first among the new-generation of Indian BM design (since A3 onwards) that uses a control system with fins in combination with the typical DACS maneuvering thrusters that we already perfected like on A3, A5) I have to assume the maneuvering requirements of the A-1P RV are far greater than that of any typical BM.

We have to remember that the 'Prime' missiles are always intended to be test-beds for new techs. When the A-2P was tested back in 2011, many of the techs it demonstrated ended up resulting in the A4 & A5 in the days & year that followed.

A decade later we are testing a new Prime again...I think the new A-1P might result in our own version of the DF-21D ASBM (or rather, a common MRBM platform for both anti-ship & land-attack uses with the same capabilities. The new RV seems to indicate something along those lines.

I can't seem to recall at the moment but there was talk of ASBMs a while ago from DRDO personnel, I believe it was VK Saraswat.
 
This missile will be highly mobile due to small size and weight.
Agni 1,2 and 4 are just too thin and long.
Agni 5 is too heavy.
This new one can be considered the first truly road mobile nuclear ballistic missile in Indian arsenal.