India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-I from Dr Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast at 10.02 am today.
Agni-I is the first missile of the Agni series powered by both solid and liquid propellants can travel at a speed of 2.5 km per second and destroy targets nearly 700 km away.
The user trial of the missile was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command of Indian Army. Senior officials of the Indian Army and Tessy Thomas, Director of Agni Project and were among those present at the island during the user trial.
Agni missile was first test-fired on January 25, 2002. Quoting Defence sources our correspondent reports that Agni-I can be blasted off from both road and rail mobile launchers. The missile weighs around 12 tonnes and can carry both conventional and nuclear payload of about 1000 kg.