New India missile can carry 1 tonne nuclear warhead deep inside China
16 November, 2011
BHUBANESHWAR: India on Tuesday successfully had test fired one of its longest-range missiles capable of carrying a one-tonne nuclear warhead deep inside China, officials said.
A Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman said the Agni-IV missile was launched at 9:00am (0330 GMT) from a test site in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. "," DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta said that all the parameters had met and test was a success.
He further stated that the nuclear-capable, two-stage missile which is powered by solid fuel was fired beyond the Bay of Bengal into the Indian Ocean. "Agni-IV has a maximum range of 3,500 kilometres (2,170 miles) but this time the launch parameter was 3,000 kilometres," the official spokesman said.
A previous test of the Agni-IV in December 2010, failed after the missile went off its trajectory and plunged into the sea. The Agni series is one of five missiles being developed by the DRDO under an Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme launched in 1983.
India is among the world's top 10 military spenders. It plans to splurge $50 billion by 2015 to upgrade its military.
End.
|
