Bhubaneshwar: The first pre-induction night launch of new generation ballistic missile, Agni Prime, was successfully flight-tested by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on Wednesday at around 7:30 pm, a DRDO statement said on Thursday.
As per the official statement, during the flight test, all objectives were successfully demonstrated. This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile, validating the accuracy and reliability of the system.
"First Pre Induction night launch of New Generation Ballistic Missile Agni Prime was successfully conducted off the coast of Odisha on 07 June 2023," tweeted DRDO.
Range instrumentation like Radar, Telemetry and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems were deployed at different locations, including two down-range ships, at the terminal point to capture flight data covering the entire trajectory of the vehicle, the statement said.
Senior officials from DRDO and Strategic Forces Command witnessed the successful flight test, which paved the way for the induction of the system into the Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the Armed Forces for the success as well as the copy-book performance of the New Generation Ballistic Missile Agni Prime.
Secretary Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat appreciated the efforts put in by the teams of DRDO laboratories and the users involved in the test launch.
Senior officials from DRDO and Strategic Forces Command witnessed the successful flight test, which has paved the way for induction of the system into the Indian Armed Forces, it said.