Canister launch of n-capable Agni V missile successful

India Saturday successfully conducted the first canister-based trial of its nuclear capable Agni-V missile, which is capable of hitting targets over 5,000 km away, from a military base in Odisha, an official said.

The long range missile was fired from a mobile vehicle at the Inner Wheeler Island, a launch site in the district of Bhadrak, about 200 km from Bhubaneswar.

"It is a canisterised version of the longest range missile. It was tested for the first time from a canister. The test was successful," test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

This was the third launch of the missile, but the first from a canister which would provide the armed forces with operational flexibility to pick and choose from where to launch the missiles.

A canister launch system of the 17 metres long and 2 metres wide missile, which has a launch weight of around 50 tonnes gives the forces the ability to transport the missile by road and rail.