| Type | Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile |
|---|---|
| Place of origin |  India |
| Service history | |
| In service | Active |
| Used by | Strategic Forces Command |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) |
| Unit cost |  250 million (US$4 million) – 350 million (US$6 million) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 48,000 kg |
| Length | 17 m |
| Diameter | 2.0 m |
| Warhead | Strategic nuclear (15 to 250 KT)(2000 to 2500 Kg), conventional,thermobaric |
| Engine | Two stage solid propellant engine |
| Operational range | 3,500 km – 5,000 km |
| Flight altitude | > 450 km |
| Speed | 5–6 km/s (Agni-II) |
| Guidance system | Ring Laser Gyro- INS (Inertial Navigation System), optionally augmented by GPS, terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation |
| Accuracy | 40 m |
| Launch platform | 8 × 8 TELAR (Transporter erector launcher) Rail Mobile Launcher |
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.
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.
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