NEW DELHI, Oct 2: India has notified aviation hubs in the region about a proposed training trial of its nuclear-capable Agni I missile that has the ability to strike deep inside Pakistan, the Indian Express reported on Tuesday.
It said the Indian army will, for the first time, validate its standard operating procedures and drills on a nuclear-capable missile by test-firing the Agni I at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur on Friday.
The first “training trial” of the Agni I missile will lead to its fulloperationalisation to complete its induction process into the service, sources confirmed to the newspaper. They added that great strategic importance is being attached to the test as it will determine the procedures and time required to launch a nuclear missile by the armed forces.
The Agni I, which has a range of over 700kms, can deliver a nuclear payload deep into Pakistan without needing to be deployed at the border. This short-range ballistic missile can be launched from both a road-based system and a broad-gauge rail launcher system.
“Taking no chances after Indonesia brewed up a diplomatic row in April saying that one of its passenger planes was forced to turn around midway due to the Agni III test-fire, India has already issued notices for diverting civilian air traffic in the region in anticipation of the launch,” the Express said.
The notice specifies that “over flight restrictions” are being imposed in the area from 9am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as an “experimental flight vehicle” will be launched from the ITR complex.
The training trial comes months after a similar test was carried out on the short-range Prithvi missile in May.
