Woman to Head India's Agni II Missile Project

After rising to the ranks of Lt Generals in the army and Air Marshals in the IAF, a woman is now set to head the country's key missile project.

45-year-old Dr Tessy Thomas, one of the around 200 women scientists and technicians working for the DRDO, has been cleared to be appointed to the post of project director of the upgraded version of the 2000 km-long nuclear capable Agni-II missile.

Thomas is presently the Associate Project Director of the 3,000 km range Agni-III missile project.

Asked about the new version of Agni-II being planned, Thomas, who was honoured along with the entire team of Agni-III by the prime minister, said, "It is still a confidential project. It will be called Agni-II A (2)."

"I like my job. I feel I am contributing to my nation's security," Thomas, who has named her son after the country's light combat fighter Tejas, said.
A B.Tech from Thrissur Engineering College, Kozhikode in Kerala and M.Tech from Pune, Thomas is an expert on all solid system propellant.

Source: Rediff

3,500-km range Agni-III missile test-fired

BALASORE: India on Wednesday test-fired the 3,500-km range surface-to-surface nuclear capable Agni-III missile from the Wheelers' Island off Orissa coast.(Watch)

The intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) was test-fired from a mobile launcher from the launch complex (LC-4) of the integrated test range (ITR) around 9:56 am, defence sources said.

The 16 metre-long and 1.8-metre wide missile roared into the sky in a vertically slanted position leaving behind a thick column of orange and white smoke and, within seconds, became invisible to the naked eye, an eyewitness said.

Source: TOI