India successfully test fired Agni -I ballistic Missile

In a move to strengthen our defence, India today successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni-I ballistic missile.

• Target–700 km
• Launched from–Odisha coast
• Developed by: Advanced Systems Laboratory, the premier missile development laboratory of (DRDO) in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad

Features of the Missile

• The surface-to-surface, single-stage missile is powered by solid propellants
• Agni-I missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision
• It weighs 12 tonnes and 15-metre-long
• It is designed to carry a payload of more than one tone and strike range can be extended by reducing the payload

Trial and launch

• The last trial of Agni-I was conducted on November 27, 2015 base was successful
• The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 9.15 AM from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island)
• The trial formed part of training exercise by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of Indian Army
• The trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships from its launch till the missile hit the target area