Bhubaneswar: India on Monday successfully tested its long-range, nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-IV missile from a military base in Odisha, an official said.
The new generation missile, which has the capability to hit targets 4,000 km away, was tested for its full range from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
“The test was a hundred percent success. It has met all mission requirements. It was a developmental trial by the DRDO. It was a pre-induction test,” test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS. The DRDO – Defence Research and Development Organisation – has developed and tested the new missile.
The 20-metre tall missile weighs 17 tonnes and has two stages of solid propulsion. Considered to be one of its kinds in the world, the missile’s last test conducted from the same defence base Sep 19, 2012, was successful.
The Missile System has opened a new era in the class of Long Range Missile having capability to carry Strategic Warheads for the Forces and has provided a fantastic deterrence to the country.
The Missile is lighter in weight and has two stages of Solid Propulsion and a Payload with Re-entry heat shield. (IANS)
