India successfully flight tests Agni II, surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a target range of 2000 km

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 9: India on Thursday successfully flight tested Agni
II, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a target range of 2000
km. The missile was fired for Strategic Forces Command from the
Wheeler’s Island in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Odisha at 8.46
am.

According to Ravi Kumar Gupta, senior scientist and head of public
interface, DRDO, the two-space solid propellant Agni II was launched
as a part of regular Strategic Forces Command exercise. The missile
reached the pre-designated target point in the Bay of Bengal within
accuracy of few metres.

Two ships located near the target point tracked the terminal face path
of the vehicle and witnessed the final event.  “The radars and
electro-optical tracking stations tracked and monitored the vehicle
and all the relevant parameters,” he said.

All the systems, propulsion, control, actuators, on-board computers,
missile interface units and the navigation, guidance systems
functioned fully to the perfection and ensured the vehicle reached the
target within few metres of accuracy.

The launch operations were carried out by SFC and the DRDO scientists
monitored and guided all missile and related activities.  The teams
were led by project director Laxmi Narayana and mission director
Avinash Chander. Dr VK Saraswat, scientific adviser to defence
minister, was present during the launch.

He said Defence Minister AK Antony congratulated the Armed Forces,
DRDO scientists and the industry on the successful launch of Agni II.
Dr VG Sekaran, director Advanced Systems Laboratory, Dr SK Chaudhari,
director, RCI, MVKV Prasad, director Integrated Test Range, Dr Satish
Kumar, Dr DN Reddy, chairman, Recruitment and Assessment Centre, were
also present during the launch operations.