BANGALORE, July 13:  Equipped with enhanced capabilities, Agni-I, India’s 700-km-range ballistic missile, was successfully launched off the coast of Odisha on Friday morning.

The launch took place at 10.06am, said an official communication from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The missile followed the prescribed trajectory and reached its target in the Bay of Bengal. A Road Mobile Launcher System was used to launchthe missile and the radar and telemetry stations located along the coastline tracked the missile’s trajectory.

Two naval ships located near the target point also tracked the missile in the terminal phase of the flight. A similar launch was conducted from the same base in December last year. The Indian army has already got this missile in its arsenal and the user tests are being conducted by the army. Officials said the launch was part of the user trials by the Strategic Forces Command to train the armed forces personnel and enhance the preparedness.

Agni-I is a single stage, solid fuel surface-to-surface missile. It is 14.8 metres long, 1.3 metres in diameter with a launch weight of 12,000kg. It can carry a payload of up to 1,000 kg, including nuclear warhead.

By arrangement with the Times of India