Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 

India Monday successfully test fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from a base in Odisha, a defence official said.

The surface-to-surface missile, with a range of over 3,000 km, was fired from a launching complex at the Inner Wheeler Island off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from here.

The missile hit the target in the Bay of Bengal.

"The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command. It was a user trial," test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

"It was tested for full range. The test was successful. It met all mission parameters," he added.

Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes. The missile has a two-stage solid propellant system. It can re-enter the atmosphere with a very high velocity.

Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere in India.

By:IANS