India successfully test fires Agni-I from Odisha coast

Balasore: India on Tuesday successfully test-fired the indigenously built nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile from Odisha coast.

The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 10.10 am from launch pad-4 at Kalam Island near Dhamra, said a defense official.

The launch of the missile was part of the training exercise by Strategic Forces Command of Indian Army.

Agni-I has a strike range of 700 km. Compared to its longer-range cousins Agni-II, Agni-III, Agni-IV, and Agni-V, it is shorter at just 15 m and weighs less with a diameter of 1 m. Its weapon system is powered by both solid and liquid propellant, which imparts it a speed of 2.5 km per second.

Agni-I can be fired from both road and rail mobile launchers at short notice. The missile weighs around 12 tons and can carry both conventional and nuclear payload of about 1000 kg. Agni-I was first test-fired in 1991.

The defense and DRDO officials had conducted a successful trial of Agni-1 on March 14.

Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the ballistic missile  can hit a target 700 km away. Agni-I is equipped with sophisticated navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision

On Monday, twin launch of Prithvi-II missile was test fired successfully from Odisha coast.