Agni - III Agni - III is an intermediate - range ballistic missile developed by India as the successor to Agni - II . It has a range of 3 , 500 km - 5 , 000 km , and is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries . The missile ’ s Circular error probable ( CEP ) is within 40 meters range , which makes it the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missile of its range class in the world . In June 2011 , it was reported that Agni - III has been inducted into the armed forces and is under - production . Introduction . India ' s Minimum Credible Nuclear Deterrence envisages a triad of nuclear counterstrike capability which required a long range missile to provide robust second strike capability . A missile system that can be dispersed far and wide in the Indian mainland , its far flung islands or its blue water naval assets dispersed across the world ' s oceans . Following this necessity India developed a larger Agni - III missile , with a heavier payload and a longer range but in a compact configuration , i . e . thicker but shorter length . This development is driven by need for a more assured retaliation that can defeat emerging ABM defences and countermeasures . Such capability requires a compact missile that can also carry ABM counter - measure payloads along with weapons , in a configuration similar to MIRV , albeit with state - of - the - art decoys . Description . Agni III — an intermediate - range ballistic missile — was developed by India as the successor to Agni - II . Designed by the Indian government ' s Defence Research and Development Organisation , Agni III is a two - stage ballistic missile that is capable of nuclear weapons delivery . It was designed and developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory ( ASL ) , a unit of DRDO , which was formed in September 2001 with its main objective being the development of large - sized rocket motors . ASL developed the propulsion plant for solid - fuel motors , including the infrastructure for propellant casting . The Agni - III has two stages with an overall diameter of 2 . 0 m . The first stage mass is about 32 tonnes and 7 . 7 m long , the second stage mass is about 10 tonnes and 3 . 3 m long . The missile is likely to support a wide range of warhead configurations , with a 4 , 500 km range and a total payload weight of 2490 kg . The stubby two - stage solid fuel missile is compact and small enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment on various surface / sub - surface platforms . The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation , guidance and control systems along with advanced on - board computer systems . The electronic systems are hardened for higher vibration , thermal and acoustic effects . A high performance indigenous ring laser gyro - based navigation system was flight - tested for the first time during the Agni - III trial on 7 Feb 2010 . Propulsion . The Agni - III features two solid fuelled stages and with overall diameter of 2 . 0 meters . This diameter is compatible with a recently tested Indian sub - surface launch system , which has a 2 . 3 meter diameter launch tube aperture . First stage booster . The first stage booster is made of advanced carbon composite materials to provide high payload fraction ( mass fraction ) . It weighs about 32 tonnes , is 7 . 7 meters long and diameter of 2 metres . Second stage . The second stage made of maraging steel weighing about 11 tonnes and a length of 3 . 3 metres . The second stage has flex nozzles , to provide necessary flight trajectory control . Maneuvering re - entry vehicle : Agni RV - Mk . 4 . Agni - III supports a wide range of weapons , with total payload weight ranging from ~ 600 kg to 1 , 800 kg including decoys and other ABM countermeasures . Instead of conventional bus architecture , the RV ( Re - Entry Vehicle ) is self - contained with velocity correction package , navigation and re - entry control systems . The lighter and tougher RV body has an all - carbon composite re - entry heat shield with multi - directional carbon re - entry nose tip and control surfaces . The new lightweight composites can withstand temperatures of up to 6000 degrees Celsius , and are capable of greater re - entry velocity . K - 4 SLBM . The K - 4 missile is one of the series of missile developed under the K - X series . DRDO is working on a submarine - launched version of the Agni - III missile , which will provide India with a credible sea - based second - strike capability . The K - 4 missile , with a range of 3500 km , is expected to be test fired for the second time in January 2011 . An as - yet unnamed variant of K - 4 with 5000 km range is under development . Flight tests . The first test for Agni III was conducted from Wheeler Island off the Bhadrak coast on 9 July 2006 . The launch proved to be unsuccessful , with the missile falling into the sea off the coast of Odisha , short of reaching the target . According to DRDO , the failure was due to a first stage anomaly that was caused by recirculating hot gases entering the missile - base shroud and damaging the electronic components . Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee reported it as " partial success " ( a trade euphemism to indicate the test generated useful data for diagnosis and correction ) as the missile was air - borne for only 5 minutes instead of the expected 15 minutes . Agni - III was test fired again on 12 April 2007 , from the Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha . This time , the launch was declared as a success . India ' s Cabinet Committee on Security announced that " This test confirms the extent of India ' s nuclear reach and India ' s nuclear deterrence as the missile can accurately hit targets at distance more than 3000 km away " . Already the most powerful and capable in India ' s missile inventory , the Agni - III is capable of carrying a variety of warheads , including nuclear warheads and can be launched from various platforms giving India intermediate range ballistic missile firepower and greatly extending India ' s power projection in the region . Agni III was test fired successfully for third time on 7 May 2008 . The missile was launched from Balasore , Odisha . After a flight of roughly 15 minutes defence scientists confirmed that the test fire was successful and that the missile met all parameters . The missile has a velocity of 5 , 000 meters per second . Agni - III is a nuclear capable fully solid propellant fuelled surface - to - surface missile , and has a range of 3 , 500 km . A new software for navigation system fitted on the missile will increase accuracy and lethality . The successful test on 7 May opened the doors for the next generation Indian ICBM Agni V with a range of 5 , 000 – 6 , 000 kilometres . The development test of Agni III was put off for unknown reasons in August 2009 . Agni III was tested successfully for the fourth time from Wheeler Island in Odisha on 7 February 2010 . The missile is said to have hit the target with pin point accuracy and met all the mission objectives . Two down range ships located near the target tracked and witnessed the Missile reaching the target accurately . The missile is likely to support a wide range of warhead configurations , with a 3 , 500 km range and a total payload weight of 2490 kg . The two - stage solid fuel missile is compact and small enough for easy mobility and flexible deployment on various surface / sub - surface platforms . The test validated the nuclear triggering mechanism , meaning Agni - III is meant for strategic nuclear deterrence . The test launch is part of pre - induction of the missile into the Indian Army . In August 2010 , the defence minister of India announced that Agni - III is ready for induction and in June 2011 , it was reported that the Agni - III missile had already been inducted into the armed forces . In September 2012 , it is reported that a missile group is now being raised with Agni - III missiles . On 21 September 2012 , as part of regular user - training the Strategic Forces Command test fired an Agni III missile from a rail mobile launcher . The missile was randomly chosen from a production lot . All mission objectives were achieved and the missile hit the pre - designated target with a two - digit accuracy .