Finally the mission was accomplished. After two successive failures, India on Monday successfully flight-tested Agni-II intermediate range surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
Fired at around 9.18 am from Wheeler Island near Dhamra in Orissa’s Bhadrak district by the personnel of the Strategic Forces Command, the missile achieved its full range and splashed down at the pre-designated target in the sea with high degree of accuracy, defence sources said.
Two naval ships tracked the vehicle homing on to the target, while a network of radars, telemetry and electro-optical instruments monitored the trajectory.
The success of the test is significant as Agni-II is considered one of the key weapon systems of India’s nuclear deterrence programme.
On the previous two occasions, the missiles failed to meet the respective mission objectives after they deviated from the flight path.