Night-time Agni II missile test-fired

A sophisticated Agni II missile, which can hit a target at a distance of more than 2,000 km, carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to 1000 kg, was launched at 7.50 pm from the DRDO-run missile launching facility located on Wheelers Island in north Orissa Bhadrak district, sources said.

Never before since the country began its indigenous missile development programme, a missile was test-fired after sunset.
Till now the DRDO was test firing all its missiles including the Agni series from its two facilities in Orissa – one on  Wheelers Island and another in Chandipur in neighbouring Balasore district – only during daytime. According to sources, the 20 metre-long surface-to-surface Agni II missile which weighs about 17 tonnes was test-fired from launch pad number IV of the missile testing centre.
Many senior DRDO scientists as well representatives of the Army were present during the function.

Result not known
The result of the test-firing is not yet known. “The results of the test-firing could only be known after a detailed analysis”, a DRDO source said.    
If defence sources are to be believed, the main aim behind the post-sunset test-firing of the Agni II missile was to gauge its accuracy during night time.
“Wars in modern times are being fought during the day as well as night. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire the expertise in night-time test-firing of the missiles”, a defence source said.

All precautionary measures, including an alert to the local fishermen, had been done before the test-firing, an official in the Bhadrak district administration said.
DH News Service