India on Sunday morning successfully test fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile. The test took place from the Wheeler Island, off the coast of Orissa. The missile has a range of range of more than 3,000 km.
This is the fourth test for the Agni-III which is 17-metres long, 2 metres in diameter and 50 tonnes in weight. It is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system. It can carry a payyload of 1.5 tonnes which is protected by heat shield.
The trajectory of the missile was monitored from a network of telemetry stations, electro-optic systems and radars located along the East Coast, at Port Blair and by Naval ships anchored near the impact point in the down range area.