India successfully test-fires 3000-km range Agni-3 ballistic missile
21 Sep 2012
India's Strategic Forces Command (SFC) today successfully test-fired the 3,000-km range nuclear-capable Agni 3 ballistic missile, from Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast at around 1320 hrs.
The missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has already been inducted into the armed forces and the current flight achieved all mission objectives, an official release said today.
The Agni-3 launch comes close on the heels of the successful test-firing of the 4000-km Agni-IV ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast.
The 17-metre tall, surface-to-surface Agni-III ballistic missile was tested for its full range of 3,000 km.
After a 15-minute flight, the missile impacted the pre-designated target in the Indian Ocean with a two-digit accuracy and met the mission objectives, official sources said.
After hitting an altitude of more than 500 km, the missile re-entered the atmosphere and withstood searing temperatures before splashing down near the target point, sources said.
