Agni Missile Series

Agni series

Agni missile series were originally developed under India's Integrated Guided Misile Development program. IGMDP consisted of various SRBM's, MRBM's Anti Tank and MRSAM etc. upon realization of the strategic importance of MRBM program, Agni missile program was decoupled from the IGMDP and given it's own independent allocation for further development.

Agni 1 - Medium Range Ballistic Missile

Range : 700-1250 Km

Status- Operational

Type: Medium Range Ballistic Missile

Agni I forms the backbone of Strategic Forces Command of India with its reach extending to most of the immediate theater of conflict. Agni 1 is road and rail mobile system and is capable of 2200lbs payload of nuclear or conventional warhead. For guidance the missile uses Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation which can be augmented by terminal GPS guidance with radar scene correction. The re-entry vehicle flight dynamics are engineered to give it the ability to correct the trajectory of the launch to account for flight pattern errors and trajectory variances. Solid fueled thrust cartridges are also used for the on-board adaptive controller to trim velocity and spatial orientation.

Comparable Missile in South Asian Region: Ghauri 1 (Pak), Rodong 1 (DPRK), DF16 (PRC)

Agni-II - Medium Range Ballistic Missile

Range :2000 - 3000Km

Status- Operational

Type: Medium Range Ballistic Missile

Agni II is classified as a strategic ballistic missile by the strategic force command of India. It's range and weight places at the cusp of a medium and an Intermediate range ballistic missile. Agni II was developed by India to mitigate the risks posed by rampant proliferation of long range missile technology from North Korea to Pakistan. The onus was to build on proven technology of Agni 1 series. Agni II is a rapid deployment system for the SFC and can be deployed within 15 mins. Agni II still has an active upgrade program in place which saw the Agni II Prime with composite air frame, reduced weight and increased range and Mk2 Re-entry Vehicle optimized of 220KT Nuclear Warhead.

Comparable Missile system in South Asian Region: Ghauri II (Pak), Shaheen II (Pak), DF21 (PRC)

Agni III: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

Range: 3500-5000 Km

Status: Testing

Type: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

Agni III is an IRBM developed by DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics for the Indian Strategic Forces Command. It is currently the longest ranging missile in service with the Indian forces. With Circular error probability of 40 meters, it is one of the most sophisticated and accurate missile in IRBM class. For development of long range sophisticated missile systems, Advanced system Laboratories was established within the DRDO group. ASL was responsible for developing the new solid motor propulsion system for the Agni III. The two stage missile uses indigenous ring laser gyro based inertial navigation. Agni III also provides a higher payload capacity with Mk4 Re-entry vehicle capable of supporting varied munition both conventional and nuclear ranging from 1300lbs to 4000 lbs. 17M stubby height makes Agni III to be highly mobile and suited for naval application. The program spawned the K4 series submarine launched ballistic missile.

Comparable Missile system in South Asian Region: Agni IV (India)

Agni IV - Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

Range :3000-4000Km

Status -Testing and Validation

Type: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

Agni IV is essentially an improved Agni II missile code named Agni II prime. Agni II originally with it's max 3000 Km range was at the cusp of Intermediate range classification, air frame modifications, with weight saving carbon fiber air frame and a composite two stage solid stage motor made Agni II prime close that gap between the Agni III and Agni II. The missile system also featured indigenous laser ring gyroscope and an on-board micro navigation system. The missile also features a highly sophisticated on-board flight control computer with high speed communication for highly accurate CEP and counter ABM maneuvering.

Comparable systems in South Asian region: None in the same class

Agni V - Medium Range Ballistic Missile

Range : 5000-5600 Km

Status -Testing and Validation

Type: Medium Range Ballistic Missile.

Agni V is the first Inter Continental Ballistic Missile developed by DRDO with the claimed range of ~5000 Km with a 17.5M height and max payload of 1500 Kgs. This missile's range has been a topic of controversy as chinese reports and some Indian sources indicate the range exceeding 7500 to 8000 km and intentionally downplayed by Indian officials to avoid international criticism. Agni V re-entry vehicle is configured to deliver 2-10 nuclear warheads. The missile was specifically designed to road mobile and rugged. Future iteration of Agni V will be canistered, the length of the missile also points towards a possible SLBM variation.

Comparable systems in South Asian region: DF4 (PRC)

Agni VI - Inter Continental Ballistic Missile

Range : 8000 to 12000 Km

Status – Under Development

Type: Inter Continental Ballistic Missile

Agni VI is the follow on to the Agni V ICBM and is under development with the DRDO ADL team. Agni VI will feature carbon fiber composite air frame along with Maneuverable re-entry vehicle capable of supporting upto 10 warheads. Terminal guidance will be similar as the Agni III follow on series with Inertial guidance augmented with radar scene correlation. It will also incorporate dynamic trajectory error correction using liquid thrust cartridges. The system will be a three stage system, and will be longer than the Agni V series. Like most of the modern Indian missile ballistic missiles, Agni VI will be cannistered and road mobile. Like the Agni V , this system will also have a Submarine launched ballistic missile variant dubbed the K6.

Comparable systems in the South Asian region: DF5 (PRC), DF31 (PRC), DF41 (PRC)

LCA Tejas: The chink in the armor.

Light combat aircraft was conceived as an extremely ambitious project for Indian Air force in the late 80's. India's HAL had previously produced the promising HF24 Marut with the help of the legendary designer Kurt Tank. With the romance of the giant slayer Folland Gnat embedded in the minds of the IAF brass, the concept of Light, Agile and nimble fighter of the 4th generation was envisaged. To design such an aircraft an entire aeronautical eco system was needed, and thus was born the ADA within the DRDO sphere of Labs, bypassing the HAL the largest and only aircraft manufacturing organization in the country which in retrospect might have been a poor decision.

So what went wrong? Pretty much most of it except the structure of the aircraft. By the time IAF was highly impressed with Mirage 2000, the goal became to produce comparable version of the same with an indigenous turbofan engine, a PESA multimode radar, Electronic warfare suite by the early 2000. The first prototype took to the skies 2001, with a GE F404 engine, meanwhile the kaveri engine project did not yield any substantial results. Similarly, the PESA radar did not take shape either. What did work was the state if the art composite airframe, control avionics and the fly by wire system for the system.  

Meanwhile while ADA/IAF was struggling to get the LCA operational, Mig 21's were running out of life, and started getting the undeserved nickname of the widow-maker. These airframes should have been retired a ling time ago, but due to delays of the LCA- Tejas, the life was being extended, in some instances not so successfully.

By the mid 2000's, IAF had again started changing it's mind from Light agile fighter to a light multirole aircraft capable of not only replacing the mig21's but also supplement Mig27's CAS missions and medium range air interdiction role. Knowing that LCA Tejas in it's current iterations wont be able to do so, MRCA (Mirage as stopgap) and subsequently ballooned into the MMRCA as a top tier omnirole Squadrons with LCA as the second tier Area defense system.

One look at the IAF fleet and it will show signs of heavy concentration on Air Superiority, most of it's platforms like the Su 30 MKI, Mig29, Mirage 2000's are exceptional Air superiority platforms, even the LCA was designed to be a nimble and agile dog-fighter. With success of the 4.5th generation multi-role aircraft’s, LCA's intended purpose too was modified to become the multi-role system in the avatar of LCA MK2.

So who is to blame for the delays in the project? Three main reasons seem to be Changing goal posts for the LCA from the Air Staff HQ; The disconnect of ADA/DRDO from it's own technology base and lack of the IAF's  ownership of the project have been the biggest contributors for the delays of this indigenous light combat aircraft system. One cannot rule out intentional misdoings in the ministry of defense to ensure that the project was starved for funds and intentionally mismanaged due to pressures from foreign aviation companies as has been alleged in quite a few quarters.

With dwindling squadron owing to already decommissioned Mig 23 and Mig 21 F/S/FL series air crafts along with Mig21 bison’s and Mig 27's on the verge of being decommissioned soon, LCA Mk2 is one of the most important projects for India, even more important to the national security of India than the FGFA or AMCA. With a heavy air superiority fleet of MKI , Mig 29's and Mirage 2000, India's air interdiction and Area defense gets weaker due to lack of internal cover of an area defense fighter like the LCA. With sufficient numbers of LCA being the work horse, it frees up the MKI's and Mig29 protecting trombay high and other installation to do their real jobs of taking the fight to the enemy.

Su 30 MKI, still the champion?

Su 30 MKI, An Indo-Russian variant of the much dreaded Russian flanker, was introduced in south asia in the early 2000. MKI, a beast of a strike platform with its massive N011 Bars Pesa radar mated to R77 AE and PD BVRAAM, a thrust to weight ratio close to 1.2, it massive A2G and maritime strike ordinance and it’s incredible range of 3000 Kms. Before the MKI came to the scene IAF’s primary air superiority platform was the Mig29M and the Mirage 2000 platforms, both comparable to the F16’s in the neighborhood,  but outclassed by the SU27’s in the PLAAF armory. MKI changed this equation, although with similar configuration of SU30 in the Chinese inventory, the chinese variants lacked  quite a few features like the Litening III targeting pods, canards, French and Israeli Avionics as the Su30MKI. The success story of the MKI has been such that even the Russian air force, ordered the SU30SM variant that closely resembles the MKI configuration. Malaysia and Algeria followed suit by ordering derivatives of the Su 30 MKI.


Pakistan has had its military doctrine directly based on India’s capabilities, whereas in China’s case, it has stayed away from any overt confrontational doctrine with India but maintaining a close awareness of IAF’s capabilities. The new platforms introduced by Pakistani Air force, to meet the challenges of maintaining minimum credible defense against India and combat obsolescence of its fleet was in a twofold strategy. F16 Blk52 variants were introduced as deterrence against technologically advanced platforms of the IAF. To combat obsolescence of its A5 Fantan, Mirage III/V and F7 (Mig21 Chinese variants), PAF introduced the FC1/JF17 aircraft developed by China as an export platform. China on the other hand developed their own single engine multirole aircraft J10, for combating the obsolescence of their own fleet. China also license produced J11 variant of SU27 be the primary long range multirole strike aircraft.

So how do these aircrafts match up against the SU 30 MKI of the IAF? Although F16 BLK52 and J10 both are quite capable aircraft, neither of them have the physical range or the radar capability to surpass the MKI, the payload on both of these aircraft is low compared to the MKI, and MKI also outshines both of these aircraft in supersonic and subsonic aerodynamic performance. The J11 and it’s naval cousin the J15 are of comparable configuration, but have the similar configuration to Su27’s lack the avionics and ordinance advantage that the MKI has over the Chinese flanker platforms. 

Super30 upgrade: Su 30 MKI in the IAF fleet are slated for the upgrades and will soon see structural upgrades for 50 airframes to accommodate the Brahmos supersonic ALCM. With air launched mode the Brahmos range will increase from it’s current 290 km to around 400 km. IAF is also testing Astra I and Astra II all aspect beyond visual range missile. IAF has also issued request for information for Brimstone ALCM and Meteor BVR for testing and evaluation.

With the current threat perceptions around the Indian subcontinent, the SU30MKI’s won’t be displaced in its stature for quite a few coming years. But within another decade China will deploy their 5^th generation strike platform J20, and most likely exports J31 to Pakistan, that is when SU 30 MKI is  most likely to be displaced from it’s throne.