India test-fires Agni V with range as far as China
India conducted second test flight of its indigenously developed nuclear-capable ‘Agni-V’ long-range ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island in Odisha. (PTI Photo)
India has successfully conducted the second test-flight of Agni 5 – country’s most potent nuclear capable inter-continental ballistic missile — from Wheeler’s Island, off Odisha coast.
The missile, which is capable of reaching deep into China and as far as Europe, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 8.48 am and started rising exactly the way it was designed to, said an official of the Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).
The maiden flight test of the indigenously built 5000-km-range missile on April 19 last year had catapulted India to an exclusive club of countries like the US, Russia, China, France and Britain that possess the technology to develop inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
The 17-metre-high and two-metre-wide missile, which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonne, has most of the countries in the world in its striking distance.
The surface-to-surface missile witnessed an ‘auto launch’ and detail results of the trial will be known after thorough analyses of all data retrieved from different radars and network systems, defence sources said.
“The sleek missile, within a few seconds of its blast-off from the Island launch pad, roared majestically into a clear sunny sky, leaving behind a trail of thin orange and white column of smoke and within seconds it pierced into sky,” said an eyewitness to the launch….
Click here to read more