India Test-Fires its Indigenous Surface-to-Surface Missile

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India has been trialing its indigenous surface-to-surface missile system technology. India test-fired its medium range nuclear capable Agni-II surface-to-surface missile with a strike range of 2,000 km. The 20-mt-long Agni-II ballistic missile has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg over a distance of 2,000 km. Already a part of the country’s arsenal for strategic deterrence, the missile was launched as a training exercise by the armed forces, a DRDO scientist said. The missile trial was conducted from a mobile launcher.

The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) has already been inducted into the services and the test was carried out by the Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) with logistic support provided by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to defenseworld.net.

The two-stage missile, equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by a unique command and control system was propelled by solid rocket propellant system.

The entire trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and two naval ships located near the impact point in the down range area of the Bay of Bengal.

Agni-II was developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad, sources said.

The missile is part of the Agni series of missiles which includes missiles with ranges from 700 km to long range.

According to thediplomat.com, citing defense sources, India also test-fired its Prithvi-II tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile in February. The missile was fired as part of a nighttime user trial. “