Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews/Agencies) – India successfully tested a nuclear-capable, intermediate-range missile yesterday that can hit targets deep inside China. It is the first test of its kind and marks India entry into the group of nations that possess a nuclear capability to attack beyond their immediate neighbours, this according to the Indian defence ministry.
The missile, code-name Agni-III (fire in Sanskrit), is the nuclear delivery weapon in India’s arsenal that can travel the farthest, with a range of 3,000 kilometres.
The test was staged "to establish the repeatability of the missile's performance", defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said.
The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at a testing site on Wheeler Island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, reaching its designated target in 13 minutes and 20 seconds at a velocity of more than 4,000 metres per second.
The missile can carry payloads of 1.5 tonnes, equal to a 300-kilotonne nuclear warhead.
The missile is one of a series developed as part of India's deterrence strategy against neighbouring China and Pakistan, which also have nuclear weapons, analysts say.
The development of the Agni- III is aimed at showing India's deterrent against Pakistan’s new government, which also tested its nuclear capabilities this year.