Balasore

India on Friday successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-3 ballistic missile, which has a strike range of over 3,000 kilometres, from Chandipur off the Odisha coast, officials said.

The surface-to-surface missile was launched by personnel of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) from a mobile launcher as part of a regular training exercise.

Officials said the missile was randomly selected from the production lot and test-fired to validate operational readiness. The SFC is responsible for handling the country’s strategic weapons systems.

After the auto-launch command was issued, the two-stage, solid-propelled missile followed the designated flight path and accurately homed in on its pre-designated target area in the Bay of Bengal.

Sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said the test met all mission objectives and validated all operational and technical parameters.

The trajectory and various flight parameters of the 17-metre-long missile were tracked and monitored in real time by radars deployed along the eastern coast, as well as by telemetry and electro-optical systems.

Two down-range ships positioned near the impact point also recorded the terminal phase of the missile’s flight, the sources said.

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Agni-3 is among the most advanced missiles in its class and has already been inducted into the armed forces. It is capable of carrying a payload of up to 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000 kilometres.