General Knowledge -Current Affairs-India Test fires ICBM Agni-5 Successfully Again

India Test fires ICBM Agni-5 Successfully Again

India today successfully test-fired indigenously developed inter-continental surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-5 from Wheelar's Island off Odisha coast. With a strike range of over 5,000 km the high precision nuclear capable missile was test fired on 15^th September 2013 at 8.48 this morning. 

A DRDO release said the missile, powered by three-stage solid rocket motors, had a flawless launch in auto mode and followed its entire trajectory in textbook manner. Describing the second trial of Agni-5, the release said it was a repeat of its spectacular maiden launch last year.

17-metres-long and 2-metres-wide with a launch weight of about 50 tonnes, Agni-V can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne to targets in all of Asia and parts of Europe. At least two more trials of Agni-V are expected by the end of next year, before the missile is inducted in the armed forces possibly in 2015. Only the UN Security Council permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United States of America and Britain - have such long-range weapons.

Congratulating scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO, Defence Minister A K Antony said "they have made the country proud".

Praising DRDO scientists, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said the event marked a milestone in the long-range missile era of India.