NEW DELHI, May 18 (UPI) -- After two failed launches, India has successfully test fired a nuclear-capable, medium-range ballistic missile, Agni II.
The surface-to-surface missile was launched off the eastern coast of the country, in Orissa state, Defense Ministry officials were quoted as saying by local media. The same officials said a mobile rail launcher was used in the morning operation on Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa.
The launch was conducted by the army's Strategic Forces Command.
"The user trial of the missile was successful and matched all mission objectives," said S.P. Dash, director of the test range.
The Agni II is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets of up to a range of 1,560 miles. With a launch weight of 16 tons, the 65-foot surface-to-surface missile can carry a nuclear payload of 1 ton. It takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied for firing.
A statement from India's Ministry of Defense said the missile was "tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation centers, electro-optic instruments and naval ships stationed near the impact point in the Bay of Bengal."
The test follows two unsuccessful launches in May and November last year when the test missiles veered off course and plunged into the sea.
The Agni, meaning fire in Hindi and Sanskrit, was intended to re-establish credibility and confidence in the missile.
The specific series are considered to be India's most sophisticated missiles. They are being developed by India's Defense Research Development Organization as part of the country's deterrent strategy against neighboring nations, including China and Pakistan, armed with nuclear weapons.
The Agni II is integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.
India has already tested a 3,000-kilometer range Agni-III missile, the longest in the series that can knock down targets as far off as Beijing and Shanghai, analysts say.
"The two-stage solid propelled Agni II is one of the key weapons systems of the country's nuclear deterrence doctrine and has been inducted into the armed forces," The Hindu daily reported.
Buoyed by the success of the test launch, military officials said India was set to test fire its first intercontinental Agni V by next year.
The One India website reported that the Agni V was designed to add a third composite stage, carrying the missile over 5,000 kilometers.
"It will be ready by next year," said W. Selvamurthy, the chief controller and director of India's Defense Research Development Organization. "We hope it will be ready next March and April. It will be an intercontinental ballistic missile."
