India test-fires Agni III missile

NEW DELHI (92 News) – India test fired its intermediate range, nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from an island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.

The launch took place at 9:12am local time (03:42 GMT) from Abdul Kalam Island, off of the Odisha coast.

Agni-III has a strike range of more than 3,000 km and capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.

The missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant engine. With a length of 17 meters, the missile’s diameter is 2 meters and weight is around 2,200 kg.

The test rocket was launched by the Strategic Forces Command unit of the India army.

The missile has been in service since 2011. The recent tests were aimed at checking the technical systems and maintaining the combat readiness of the existing arsenal of missiles. Such tests are conducted by the Indian Army on a regular basis.