India today successfully test-fired an advanced variant of nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile with a strike range of 3,000 km from an island off the Odisha coast.The surface-to-surface intermediate range missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 0900 hours from the Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island. Defence sources said, Agni-II Prime, the new missile is a two- stage weapon system powered by solid propellant. It is 20 metres long and launch weight is 17 tonnes and it can carry a one tonne payload.

Describing the test-firing as successful, defence sources said the missile’s exact performance will be known after all data was collected and analysed from different telemetry and tracking stations as well as naval ships positioned near the terminal point.

The first developmental trial of Agni-II Prime, conducted on December 10, 2010, had failed due to some technical problem in the control system.