May 05, 2017

India's test of nuclear-capable Agni-II missile fails

BYPankaj Mishra

India on Thursday test-fired its medium-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-II off the Odisha coast, but the test failed after the missile deviated from its trajectory, sources said.
The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from Launch Complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore district, said officials.
However, the missile went off its path after around half a kilometre and the test had to be aborted, they said.
The Strategic Forces Command (SCF), a specially raised missile-handling unit of the Indian Army, carried out the test at 10.20 am.
Agni-II has two solid fuel stages and a Post Boost Vehicle (PBV) integrated into the missile’s Re-entry Vehicle (RV). The 20-metre missile is a two-stage, solid propelled ballistic missile.
It has a strike range of more than 2,000 km, is 20-metre long, weighs 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg.

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Pankaj Mishra is a writer of FactorDaily.