India on Tuesday test-fired an indigenously developed nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from an undersea location off the Orissa coast, an official source said.

“The missile was launched around 1 pm," the source said of the sixth test of the 700-km range Sagarika missile. Since the Indian Navy does not have a submarine capable of firing an SLBM, the test firing was conducted from an underwater launcher positioned 50 metres under the surface and 8 km off the Orissa coast. Prahlada, chief controller of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that developed Sagarika, said earlier that they were also readying for a “crucial” test of the missile from a submarine.

“We have asked the navy for a submarine to enable us conduct the test," Prahlada said during the DEFEXPO international defence exposition on Feb 16-19. However,  Russia is yet to respond to the Indian Navy's request for loaning an Akula-class submarine that is capable of launching SLBMs. The navy’s Russian-made Kilo-class submarines and the German-designed HDW submarines do not have the capability to fire such missiles.

The success achieved last year with exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) and endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere) anti-ballistic missiles, as also with the surface-to-air Akash missile, had apparently encouraged DRDO scientists to test the Sagarika again.

Powered by a turbojet, it can carry a 500-kg payload. It is 8.5 metres long and a metre in diameter.