India test-fires nuke-capable Agni-II missile

Bhubaneswar, May 19 (ANI): India on Tuesday successfully tested the nuclear capable Agni-II missile at Wheelers Island near Balasore in Orissa.

According to a senior Defence Ministry official, Agni-II missile is the surface-to-surface missile with a range of over 2,000 km.

"It was a user trial. The aim of the test is to give the Army confidence to fire the missile on its own," the official said.

The Agni II missile, which is 20 metres long and 16 tones heavy, can carry a payload of around 1,000 kg and its range can also be increased to 3,000 km by reducing the pay load.

"It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers. It takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied for firing," the official added.

The missile has been developed with technical assistance from the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization for the Indian Army. (ANI)