India on Sunday successfully tested its nuclear- capable surface-to-surface missile Agni-I from a defence base in the eastern state of Orissa, a news report said. The locally-built missile, which has a range of 700 kilometres, was fired from a rail mobile launcher on the Wheeler Island off the state's coast, the PTI news agency reported.
"It was a fantastic mission carried out by the Indian army. The test-fire of the Agni-I missile met all parameters," director of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) SP Dash told the PTI. India's armed forces had on Saturday successfully tested two nuclear-capable missiles, Dhanush and Prithvi-II from the same state.
Weighing 12 tons, the 15-metre-long missile, which can carry payloads weighing up to one ton, has already been inducted into the Indian army.
Agni-II, which has a range of more than 1,500 kilometres, was first tested on April 11, 1999.
Since 2007, India has also successfully test-fired Agni-III, its longest-range missile, which can cover distances up to 3,500 kilometres. The Agni series of missiles has been developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The first test of the Agni series was conducted in 1989.