India test fires n-capable Agni-V missile

Bhubaneswar :  India Sunday sucessfully test fired its longest-range Agni-V nuclear-capable missile for the second time in less than one and a half years, defence ministry sources said.

The missile can hit targets deep inside China and Pakistan, the sources said.

It was fired from the Inner Wheeler Island, a launch site at Bhadrak, about 200 km from Bhubaneswar.

“The test was successful,” spokesman R.K. Gupta for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told IANS.

He said with the latest launch, the DRDO was now ready to start the process of production and induction of the missile in the military. However, some more tests may be conducted before its induction.

With the latest launch, India has strengthened its position as a member of the exclusive club of nations, including the US, Russia and China, that have the capability to hit targets over 5,000 km away.

The first test of this home-grown missile was carried out successfully in April 2012.