India successfully test fires nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile

Bhubaneswar: India on Monday successfully test fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from a base in Odisha, a defence official said. The surface-to-surface missile, with a range of over 3,000 km, was fired from a launching complex at the Inner Wheeler Island off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district. [caption id=“attachment_1303175” align=“alignleft” width=“220”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The missile hit the target in the Bay of Bengal. “The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command. It was a user trial,” test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS. “It was tested for full range. The test was successful. It met all mission parameters,” he added. Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes. The missile has a two-stage solid propellant system. It can re-enter the atmosphere with a very high velocity. Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere in India. IANS