- India on 20 February test-fired surface to surface medium range nuclear capable Agni-II missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
- The trial of missile was conducted from a mobile launcher at the Launch Complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
- The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) has already been inducted into the services and February 20 test was carried out by the Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) with logistic support provided by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- The missile has a strike range of 2,000 km.
- The 20-mt-long Agni-II ballistic missile has a launch weight of 17 tonne and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg over a distance of 2,000 kms.
- Agni-II, a 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.
- Agni-II was developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.
- The missile is part of the Agni series of missiles which includes the Agni-I with a 700 km range, Agni-III with a 3,000 km range, Agni-IV and Agni-V both having long range capabilities.
- The first proto type of the Agni-II missile was carried out on April 11, 1999 and last launch was a user’s trial on May 4, 2017.
