India to Try Agni Missile Launch Again
BHUBANESHWAR, India — India will try again Monday to test launch its first long-range missile, official sources said.
The first attempt to launch the 75-ton Agni (Fire) into the Bay of Bengal from the Orissa state east coast was called off on April 20 just seven seconds before the scheduled launch.
The Indian government said technical problems aborted the launch but remained tight-lipped on what they were.
The missile can carry a one-ton payload over a 1,000-mile range, according to the Indian government. Western diplomats put its range at up to 1,500 miles.
A successful test would worry Pakistan, which has tested its own short-range missiles this year.
The two countries have fought three wars since they became independent of Great Britain in 1947 and a long-range Indian missile would further tilt the military balance in India’s favor.
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