Agni II
The Agni (Fire) is an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile which had begun development in 1979. It became part of India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) in 1983. The first Agni test occurred on 22 May 1989, and two more tests were conducted on 29 May 1992 and 19 February 1994. These tests were technology test-beds (TTBs) for developing vehicle structure, integration, navigation and control, flight dynamics and re-entry vehicle technology. The TTBs achieved a maximum range of 1500 km, however the main drawback was the missile’s solid-liquid propulsion configuration, which seemed unsuitable for an operational IRBM. Thus the Agni-II was developed, which had a length of 20 metres, a diameter of 1.3 metres and weighs 16 tonnes, and is an improvement over its predecessor which had a length of 21 metres and weighed 19 tonnes.
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP)
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was formed in 1983 with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency in missile development & production and today comprises of five core missile programs —> the strategic Agni ballistic missile, the tactical Prithvi ballistic missile, the Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles and the Nag anti-tank guided missile.