India has test-fired its longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni-III, officials said. The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired off the coast of Orissa state in eastern India. With a range of more than 3,000km (1,865 miles), the missile could hit targets as far off as Beijing and Shanghai, analysts say.
Indian defence spokesman Group Captain Ramesh Kumar Das said the latest test was launched from the interim test range at the Wheeler's Island in the Bay of Bengal. The intermediate range ballistic missile is capable of carrying a 1.5-tonne nuclear payload. When deployed, it will boost India's second-strike capability as it can be launched from anywhere using a mobile launcher. It will need a few more tests before it can be inducted into the armed forces, Group Captain Das said.
Possession of the Agni-III will give India deep strike capability because it would have Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai and the US island base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean well within its striking range. |