Agni-I successfully test-fired off Odisha coast
The indigenously built nuclear-capable Agni-I missile was test-fired as part of a user trial by the Army
Balasore, Odisha: India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear-capable Agni-I missile, which has a strike range of 700km, from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.
The surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at about 1111 hrs from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100km from Balasore, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta said.
Describing the trial as fully successful, Gupta said the ballistic missile was launched by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the army as part of a training exercise. “The entire exercise was conducted in a perfect manner and the trial was totally successful," he said.
“The DRDO-developed medium-range ballistic missile from the production lot was launched as part of regular training exercise by the armed forces," said another official. Agni-I missile has a specialized navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The missile, which has already been inducted into the Armed Forces, has proved its excellent performance in terms of range, accuracy and lethality. Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I can carry payloads up to 1,000kg.
Agni-I was developed by advanced systems laboratory, the premier missile development laboratory of the DRDO in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Hyderabad. The last trial of the Agni-I missile was successfully carried out on 12 April 2014 from the same base. It was the first trial that was launched after sunset.
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