New Delhi (AsiaNews / Agencies)
- This morning, India successfully tested the Agni-I missile to carry
nuclear weapons capable
of reaching targets in Pakistan, with
a range of 700 kilometers.
The launch took place at Wheeler Island,
off the coast of Orissa, and was conducted by
the Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO).
15 meters long
and weighing 12 tonnes, Agni-I has a special navigation system that allows it to reach any target with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The missile
can carry up to one ton of
cargo.
Today's success is yet another,
new step in the arms race for New
Delhi. In April it
launched India's Agni-V missile for the
transport of long-range nuclear weapons,
dubbed "China
Killer" because it is capable of
reaching the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai, with a range of over
5 thousand kilometers.
India began to develop a series of
"Agni" missiles in 1983. They are among
the most sophisticated weapons in the
nation's arsenal. The name
derives from Sanskrit and Agni was the Hindu god of fire.