India tests surface-to-air missile in a series of tests of the short-range, defensive weapon, defence officials said. The missile blasted off from the Chandipur-on-Sea testing site in Orissa state on India's eastern coast in successful back-to-back afternoon tests, officials with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation said.
Three tests last week at the testing site 200 kilometres (125 miles) north-east of the state capital Bhubaneswar were also described as successful and included knocking flying targometres and can carry a 55-kilogram warhead. Tests of the missile were likely to continue this week to finetune the weapon for use by the air force, officials said.
The tests began as India announced plans last week to increase its nuclear capability with a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets up to 6,000 kilometres away. India has built a range of ballistic and cruise missiles as a deterrent to neighbours China and Pakistan. It has fought three wars with Pakistan since their 1947 independence as well as a brief but bitter border war with China in 1962.
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