India has successfully test-fired for a second time an indigenous inter-continental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The Agni-V missile, which is capable of reaching deep into China and as far as Europe, blasted off at 8:50 a.m. local time (0320 GMT) on Sunday from a mobile launcher on Wheeler Island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.
The projectile, developed by the state-owned Defense Research Development Organization, successfully hit its designated target after 20 minutes.
The surface-to-surface, three-stage solid propellant missile has a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,106 miles) and can carry a payload of 1.5 tons.
Compared to other Agni series of missiles, the 17-meter-high and 2-meter-wide Agni-V incorporates more advanced navigation and guidance systems, which enable it to strike the target within few meters of accuracy.
The Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research Development Organization plans to conduct at least three more tests on Agni-V before it delivers the ballistic missile to the Indian army. The tests are expected to take two to three years. Agni-V was first tested on April 19, 2012.
While the shorter-range Agni-I and II were mainly developed with traditional rival Pakistan in mind, later versions with a longer range reflect the shift in India’s focus towards China, analysts say.
Agni-I has a range of 700 kilometers (434 miles), Agni-II 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), Agni-III 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) and Agni-IV 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles).
MP/PR
Copyright: Press TV