NEW DELHI, 30 August 2004 — India test-fired a surface-to-surface missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons yesterday, at Wheeler Island, off the coast of eastern Orissa, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
This was the third trial of the Agni II missile, which has a range of up to 2,500 km.
The missile can carry conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1,000 kg, according to defense sources. The test was described as a “routine” one to gauge the missile’s accuracy. The Agni-II missile can strike at targets as far as China.
Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defense Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) chief V.K. Aatrea and Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, chief of the Strategic Forces Command that manages India’s nuclear arsenal, were among those who witnessed yesterday’s test.
Mission Director R.N. Agarwal of the DRDO said the test of Agni-II from a railway mobile launcher met “all the mission objectives, including achieving high accuracy in guiding the payload to the designated target at 1,200 km range”.
A network of stations along the eastern coast and several Indian Navy ships tracked the missile between its launch and the impact point at sea, “confirming the success of the mission”, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
“Agni II confers an operation capability to deliver a variety of payloads on targets which are at present beyond the range of combat aircraft,” he said.
This was the third test of Agni-II, a two-stage solid propellant missile that has a state-of-the-art guidance system and sophisticated onboard packages and advanced communication interface.
The first test of the Agni (Agni means fire in Hindi) series of missiles was conducted in May 1989.
Agni-I is a surface-to-surface, intermediate-range ballistic missile that was developed under India’s integrated guided missile development program launched in 1983. It has a range of about 700 km and can carry a one-ton warhead.
Agni-II was first tested on April 11, 1999.
Both Agni-I and Agni-II have been inducted into the armed forces. India plans to test the Agni-III, a variant with a range of over 3,000 km that would make India capable of striking targets deep within China.
The first test of Agni-III has been put off several times since late last year. Defense sources said India might test the missile this year.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent congratulatory message to scientists and staff of DRDO and army officers who were associated with the “flawless flight trial”.
Mukherjee congratulated Aatre, Agarwal and all scientists at the test range, saying the “successful flight of Agni-II renews the country’s confidence in the capabilities of our scientific and technical community and in the maturity of indigenous technologies”.
Mukherjee described the test as “an important milestone in India’s defense preparedness”.
India’s missile arsenal includes the Trishul, a surface-to-air missile which targets aircraft and can counter sea-skimming missiles; the short-range ballistic missile Prithvi with a range of 153 km; the anti-tank Nag missile and the supersonic Brahmos missile.
