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Agni-3 successfully test fired

A day ahead of the Republic day, India on Friday successfully test fired a 'short range' Agni missile, which can strike targets less than 700 km.

The missile, which is part of the country's indigenous Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, was launched at about 0850 IST from launch complex number four on the Wheelers' Island off the Orissa coast.

An external affairs ministry spokesperson confirmed in Delhi that the missile was 'short range' with a capability of less than 700 km.

She clarified it was not the intermediate or the longer-range versions of the Agni missiles.

She said the timing of the launch was solely guided by technical considerations and there was no political significance or relationship with any event.

"We do not view missile tests as sending a political message," she said.

The spokesperson said the heads of mission of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, US, Russia, UK, China and France, apart from Germany, Japan and the current EU president, Spain, were informed about the test.

The deputy high commissioner of Pakistan was also informed about the test.

The spokesperson said the test was undertaken in a 'non-provocative manner' across the international waters in accordance with the fully established practices.

She said the countries, which were informed about the test, were told that the missile launch was planned in advance and was not 'abrupt or sudden'.

"The test was undertaken in a predictable and transparent manner," she said, adding that the country's missile programme was not 'country specific'.

The spokesperson said the test was also part of efforts to evaluate the indigenous capability to guarantee a credible minimum nuclear deterrent.

"We are perfectly convinced about the legitimacy of the missile tests," she said.

India is the seventh country in the world to have an indigenous ballistic missile capability. This is the sixth time that an Agni missile was launched from the Interim Test range at Chandipur-on-sea since the maiden test fire on May 22, 1989.

The previous missiles were both of medium and long range.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee congratulated scientists and technicians on the successful launch of the Agni ballistic missile.

Defence Minister George Fernandes, who witnessed the test firing, telephoned Vajpayee and informed him about the successful launch of the missile, official sources said.

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