India has successfully test-fired for a second time an indigenous inter-continental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
The projectile, developed by the state-owned Defense Research Development Organization, successfully hit its designated target after 20 minutes.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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).\n<\/p>\n
MP\/PR<\/p>\n