New Delhi: Nine months after the first attempt failed, the DRDO is likely to re-launch the Agni-III ballistic missile from Wheeler's Island in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday.
Agni-III is the most powerful missile in the Indian arsenal and will have a three-stage lift-off mechanism and a 4,000-km range.
“The exact time will depend on weather conditions and other factors,' an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We hope the test will proceed smoothly,” a DRDO official was quoted as saying by IANS.
The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and is designed so that it can be launched from varied platforms.
It is also an effective counter to any missile in the region and can reach out to target most parts of China, including Beijing. Experts say it will also give India a strategic edge against China.
If the test-firing is successful, the Agni-III will become the missile with the longest reach in South Asia and more powerful than any missile in Pakistan's arsenal.
However, Agni-III still falls short of being an ICBM (inter-continental ballistic missile) that have ranges over 5,000 km, experts say.
This will be the second launch of the missile after an unsuccessful test on July 9 last year from the integrated test range.
Agni-III was last tested on July 9, 2006 from the same base. After the launch, however, the second stage of the rocket had failed to separate and the missile plunged into the Bay of Bengal well short of its target.
DRDO scientists later attributed the failure to a 'material-related fault', besides problems with the protective heat shield, design and propulsion.
The test will be conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 230 km from Orissa capital Bhubaneswar. The missile will soar aloft from launch complex No. 4 of Inner Wheeler Island, a new launch site at the ITR.
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