India on Wednesday successfully test-fired "Agni Prime", its new generation ballistic missile off the coast of Odisha, the Defense Ministry announced in a statement on Thursday.
During the flight test carried out under the supervision of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, the missile demonstrated and accomplished all its objectives.
The ministry added that this was the "first pre-induction night launch" of the missile following three "successful developmental trials".
The successful test launch validated the accuracy and reliability of both the missile and its launch system.
A host of tracking systems were deployed to track the accuracy of the missile during the flight test.
"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 elaborated.
The development is crucial for the Indian Armed Forces given that it opens the doors for Agni Prime's induction into the military.
This is the second ballistic missile test New Delhi has conducted in as many weeks. Before Agni Prime, India test-fired the Agni-1 ballistic missile last Thursday.
"The missile is a proven system, capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision. The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile," an official release said afterward.
Also, India conducted the test of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Agni-V in December 2022, having a range of 5,000 km.