India on Friday successfully carried out the test launch of the short range nuclear powered ballistic missile 'Agni-1', said the defence ministry. The test was conducted from the integrated test range at Chandipur in Odisha.
The successful test launch, which was carried out under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which is a critical part of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) in India, validated all operational and technical parameters.
"The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. The test was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a release.
A similar test was conducted by in July last year, which validated all operational and technical parameters. The Agni-1, developed by the DRDO, can destroy targets within a range of 700 to 1,200 km. India, notably, keeps conducting periodic routine trials of missiles inducted by the SFC.
Advanced Agni missile test-fired
Earlier this month, India also conducted successful test launch of an Advanced Agni missile from Odisha's APJ Abdul Kalam Island. The test was conducted with the Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) system, which ensures that a single missile can deploy multiple war heads at different locations simultaneously.
"India conducted the successful flight-trial of an advanced Agni missile with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) system from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha on May 8," the defence ministry had said on May 9.
"The missile was flight-tested with multiple payloads, targeted to different targets spatially distributed over a large geographical area in the Indian Ocean Region," it said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Army and others for the successful test launch. In a statement, he had said that the MIRV would enhance India's preparedness against the growing threat perceptions.
"The missile was flight tested with Multiple payloads, targeted to different targets spatially distributed over a large geographical area in Indian Ocean Region," Rajnath's office had quoted him as saying.
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