Agni-II ballistic missile likely to be test fired tomorrow

The nuclear-capable Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile, with a range of 2,000km, is likely to be test fired tomorrow from a range off the Orissa coast during a trial by the army, defence sources said today.

"The trial is to be conducted from the Wheelers Island, about 120km from Balasore off the Orissa coast tomorrow," the
sources said.

Range integration work in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur and Dhamara for trial of Agni-II missile is near completion and if final check-up in the sub-systems of the missile is found to be flaw-less, the mission will be taken up
tomorrow, they said.

A special strategic command force (SSC) raised by the army would conduct the trial with necessary logistic support provided by various laboratories of the ITR and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists, the sources said.

The indigenously-built Agni-II missile is a two-stage solid propelled ballistic missile. Its length is 21m, width 1m and launch weight is 17 tonnes. The missile is part of the Agni series which includes Agni-I of 700km range and Agni-III of 3,500km range. Agni-I has been inducted into the forces and Agni-III is in the process of induction.

It can carry a payload of one tonne over a distance of 2,000km. However, the range can be extended if the payload is reduced. The missile has already been inducted into the services and the SSC is in charge of the missile's operation.

Agni-II was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other laboratories of DRDO and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.

Private industry has participated in a big way in its production, the sources said.