India successfully test-fires N-capable Agni-V missile from Wheeler Island

India’s first long-range nuclear capable missile, Agni-V, was successfully launched on Sunday for the second time in Odisha.

Zee Media Bureau

Bhubaneswar: India’s first long-range nuclear capable missile, Agni-V, was launched on Sunday for the second time in Odisha at 8:50 am on Sunday. The 5,000 km range missile was launched from Inner Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha. The missile has the capability to strike targets that are deep inside China and Pakistan. It will also make India capable of striking a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China. The missile flew on a predefined path and reached its destination with expected precision. Powered by three stage solid rocket motors, the missile had a flawless, spectacular launch in auto mode and followed its entire trajectory in textbook manner, dropping the three motors at predefined stages into the ocean. The three stage, solid propellant missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher from the launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR), defence sources said. The surface-to-surface missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne, witnessed an `auto launch` and detail results of the trial will be known after thorough analyses of all data retrieved from different radars and network systems, they said. Unlike other missiles of indigenously built Agni series, the latest one `AGNI-V` is the most advanced version having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. Only UNSC permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United States and Britain – have such long-range missile. The indigenously developed missile Agni-V is capable of striking a range of more than 5000 km. It is about 17 meter long and 2 metres wide with launch weight of around 50 tonnes. In the Agni series, India at present has Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2500 km to more than 3500 range. After some more trials, Agni-V will be inducted into the services, the sources said. Agni’s existing variants can hit targets at ranges of 700 km to 3,500 km. The first test of the missile was launched on April 19, 2012 which was also a success. (With Agencies Inputs)