India's surface-to-surface missile Agni-II was test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheelers' island in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
The sleek missile roared into the sky from a mobile launcher at launch complex (LC) four of ITR at 12.55 pm under an overcast sky leaving behind a trail of white smoke.
The Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Scientific Advisor to the Defence ministry, V.K. Atre and Project Director, Agni, R.N. Agrawal along with over 100 defence scientists were present at the launch complex to witness the test firing of the missile.
This is the third test flight of Agni II developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The first experiment was conducted on April 11, 1999 and second on January 17, 2001.
Agni II, an intermediate range ballistic missile, has a range of 2000 to 2500 km which can carry both conventional as well as nuclear warheads weighing upto 1,000 kg.
Today's test launch of Agni II was being termed as +contained test fire+ for effective monitoring and collection of data by Indian defence scientists though the re-entry control and guidance technology had already been established during earlier tests, the sources said.
The indigenously developed 20 metre long two-stage missile weighed 16 tonnes and was powered by solid-solid propellants. It has a diameter of one metre.
Its strap down inertial navigation system provided the necessary guidance accuracy and used advanced composite structure for protecting payload during the re-entry phase, the sources said.
According to a defence analyst, it takes only 11 minutes for such type of delivery system to travel a length of 2200 km of which the powered phase was two minutes.
The entire trajectory of today's test launch was tracked down by different telemetry stations, radars, electro optimic instruments and a naval ship stationed near the splash down impact point at sea.
The count down for the test launch of the sophisticated missile commenced early this morning.
The DRDO had started the Agni missile project in 1983 and ever since it remained a part of the country's ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The first test flight of Agni was undertaken on May 22, 1989.
Four other missiles---Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag--- were either developed or in the process of development under the programme.
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http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/000200408291301.htm
(With PTI Inputs)