India tests nuclear-capable Agni-III missile

Bhubaneswar, Dec 23:

on Monday test fired its

-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from a base in

, defence officials said.

The surface-to-surface missile, with a range of over 3,000 km, was fired from a launching complex at the Inner Wheeler Island off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from here.

Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile.

"The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command. It was a user trial," a senior defence official told IANS.

Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes. The missile has a two-stage solid propellant system. It can re-enter the atmosphere with a very high velocity.

Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere in India.

IANS