RSS
India on Sunday conducted its fourth test-launch of the nuclear-capable Agni 3 ballistic missile, paving the way for the weapon's entry into military service, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 14, 2009).
The missile -- launched from Wheeler Island off of eastern India -- "hit the target with pinpoint accuracy and met all the mission objectives," said Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar.
"Now the missile system will be fully inducted into the armed forces," the official said.
The solid-fuel missile is considered capable of delivering a 1.5-metric-ton warhead as far as 2,000 miles (Pratap Mohanty, Agence France-Presse/Google News, Feb. 7). The weapon's initial test-firing in 2006 was unsuccessful, but all later exercises were completed as expected.
The Sunday launch is not expected to dramatically affect India's relations with its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, according to the Associated Press. The neighboring states, which have fought in multiple wars, typically inform each other of planned missile tests (Muneeza Naqvi, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 7).