Today Agni-I was successfully test-fired by India

Today Agni-I was successfully test-fired by India.Agni I which is a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface was successfully test-fired rom the Wheelers' Island, a defence base in the Bay of Bengal on Orissa coast.

“It was the second user's trial of this sophisticated missile,” officials associated with the trial said.

The last trial was conducted on October 5, 2007 from the same launch site.

The indigenously built sleek missile with a range of 700-800 km and mounted on a mobile launcher, had a perfect launch from the launch complex no. 4 of the Integrated Test Range at 1015 hrs hours, defence sources said.

The 15 metre tall Agni-1 missile, weighing about 12 tonnes, is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads of 1000 kg.

Personnel from the country\'s newly raised Strategic Forces Command (SFC) along with scientists from the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out today\'s trial in order to ensure familiarisation with the end operator, that is a special missile group 334 raised by the Indian Army, the sources said.

The single-stage Agni-1 missile powered by solid propellant fuel can be blasted off from both rail and road mobile launcher, the sources said.

Unlike Prithvi missile, which has a range of only 300 km, Agni-1 incorporated new guidance and control systems with significant improvements in its re-entry technology and manoeuverability.

Agni-1 is a single stage version of Agni-II missile, they said adding that detailed results of today\'s trial would be analysed on the basis of the data from the network of ground radars, telemetry stations and observations from intended impact point.

The first trial of this missile was carried out from the Wheelers Island on January 25, 2002. There were considerable improvements in its re-entry and manoeuverability since Agni\'s first trial was conducted from the same launching site six years ago, the sources said adding this was the fifth test-firing of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile. “The prime objective of the trial was to fine-tune and re-confirm the technical parametres set for the users’ launch,” sources said.