India Test Fires Agni-II Nuclear Capable Medium-Range Ballistic Missile
The test was reportedly conducted at night on November 16.
India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) has conducted a nighttime test firing of a medium- to intermediate-range nuclear capable ballistic missile as part of its annual training cycle to validate the combat readiness of the Indian Army’s missile forces.
An Agni-II medium- to intermediate-range ballistic missile was launched at Launch Complex 4 at nighttime on November 16 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Dr. Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of the Indian state of Odisha, according to local media reports citing government sources.
“The missile was launched from the IC-4 pad at Wheeler Island [Dr. Abdul Kalam Island], Balasore,” Sirf News writes. “Splashdown was 2,000 – 2,100 km. downrange in the Bay of Bengal, on a trajectory designed to simulate a range of 2,800 – 3,000 km.” The launch marked the first successful test of the Agni-II at night. A previous test, conducted in 2009, ended in failure.
The Agni-II constitutes the backbone of India’s land-based nuclear deterrent.
Its maximum range is estimated somewhere between 2,000-3,000 kilometers and it can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead of up 1,000 kilograms. It was first deployed in 2004 and is both road and rail mobile.
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