India successfully tests Agni-1 missile
Agni-1 missile, a developed short-range nuclear capable ballistic missile, was successfully test-fired today off the Odisha coast.
It is capable of carrying a conventional payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) or a nuclear warhead.
An indigenously developed short-range nuclear capable ballistic Agni-1 was successfully test-fired today at 8:30 am from a mobile launcher at Pad 4 of the Integrated Test Range at Odisha’s Dr Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island.
Agni-1 missile was launched as a part of a periodic training activity by the Strategic Forces Command or SFC of the Indian Army to consolidate operational readiness.
It was 18th version of Agni-I, which could achieve all parameters within the stipulated time period, said defence sources. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had successfully tested country’s longest indigenously developed nuclear missile Agni-V on January 18 last month.
The short-range nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-1 has a strike range of over 700 km.
Agni-1 missile weighs around 12 tonnes. It is 15-metre-long and can carry payloads up to 1,000 kg.
The missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, can hit a target beyond 700 km.
Agni-1 missile has already been inducted into the armed forces and has proved its performance in terms of range, accuracy and lethality, the defence sources said, adding that the trial reconfirms the Army’s readiness to fire it at short notice.
The sophisticated Agni-1 missile is equipped with a specialised navigation system that ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of precision.