With this second successful test-firing, India now joins a select group of nations having intermediate range ballistic missiles with range up to 3,000 km. The missile will give the nation the capability to target cities in China like Beijing and Shanghai. The success of Agni-III paves the way for India to build its truly intercontinental range missiles Agni-IV with a range of 5000 km in the near future.
The test of the indigenously built Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile was carried out from a mobile launcher at about 1006 hrs from launch pad-4 of Integrated Test Range at Wheelers Island near Dhamra, about 80 km from Balasore in Orissa, defence sources said.
The missile was launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range at the Wheelers' Island, a defence base in the Bay of Bengal on Orissa coast near in Balasore, Orissa, at 1015 hours. This was the second user trial of the precision target hitting missile to test its 'operational readiness', the scientists said. The last trial was conducted on October 5, 2007, from the same launch site.
The short range variant of India's indigenously developed Agni series of ballistic missiles, Agni-I, was test-fired from Wheelers Island off the Orissa coast on Friday. It was launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range launch complex.
The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile, blasted off at 10.52 am from a fixed platform with the help of an auto launcher in the launch complex-4 of the ITR, located about 72 km from Balasore, defence sources said.
Although the credit for acquiring the technological skill must be given to India's outstanding nuclear scientists, the decision to go nuclear was a political one that entailed clarity of vision, courage and resolve, points out Rup Narayan Das.
'What's sad today is that there are so many people who cannot find work, not because the country is devoid of that opportunity, but because we are not doing enough in the country.'
This is the first time Agni-III has been test-fired.
It was the missile's third test flight. The first was on April 11, 1999 and second on January 17, 2001.
Sri Lanka is bankrupt, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared on Tuesday.
The test firing took place at around 8.47 am \n\nfrom the launch complex of the Wheeler's Island located in the Bay of Bengal, off the Orissa coast.
The interceptor, known as Advanced Air Defence missile, was engaged against an electronically prepared target which simulated the trajectory of a hostile ballistic missile.
"It was a direct hit and grand success," defence sources said after the test launch.
The interceptor is a 7.5-metre long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator, the DRDO sources said.
Describing the trial a "complete success", sources said that all the mission objectives were met during the test.
Describing the trial as a "complete success", they said all mission objectives were met during the test-fire. All radars, tracking systems and range stations tracked and monitored the flight performance of the missile, which was launched with support of a mobile launcher.
The surface-to-surface missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 10.10 am from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island), defence officials said.
Sri Lanka's state-owned petroleum corporation announced fuel rationing for vehicles with effect from Friday, as an unprecedented economic crisis roils the country.
India on Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni-I ballistic missile, capable of hitting a target 700 km away, from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.
Agni-I missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision.
The first canister-based trial of the 5,000 km-plus nuclear capable Agni-V long range ballistic missile is likely to take place on January 31.
Sri Lanka watchers were startled on Tuesday evening to see an anti-government protestor being dragged off a Sri Lankan Airlines flight by police personnel at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike airport.
Reacting to the recent supersonic interceptor missile test by India, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan Prime Minister's adviser on Foreign Affairs, has said that Islamabad will acquire advanced technology to improve its defence and will also raise the matter at the international arena.
Agni-IV missile is equipped with 5th generation onboard computer and distributed architecture. It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbance.
India on Saturday successfully test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system.
India on Sunday successfully test-fired a new interceptor missile capable of neutralising any incoming long-range missile at higher altitude.
The sleek missile having 4000 km strike range is a two stage missile. It is 20 metre-long weighing 17 tonnes.
India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.
The HSTDV is capable of powering missiles to attain a speed of around Mach 6 or six times the speed of sound, the officials said, adding only a very few countries like the United States, Russia and China have such a capability.
India on Tuesday successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV from a test range off the Odisha coast.
India successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear capable Agni-I missile, which has a strike range of 700 kilometre on Thursday, from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.
India on Monday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of about 4,000 km, from a test range off the Odisha coast.
India on Monday test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile with a strike range of more than 3,000 km as part of a user trial by the Army from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast, defence sources said.
Former DRDO chief Avinash Chander's tenure was abruptly curtailed.
India on Friday night successfully conducted maiden night test of its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile with strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.
India on Sunday successfully test-fired its medium-range nuclear-capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of more than 2,000 km from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.
Missile's range to cover China, West Asia, South East Asia and large parts of Africa
Many new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in the Agni-5 trial.
Auto majors face dip in exports due to credit squeeze in Lanka, Nepal
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