INDIA TEST-FIRED ITS NUCLEAR-CAPABLE AGNI-III MISSILE SUNDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE DEFENSE MINISTRY SAID. THE LAUNCH TOOK PLACE AT INDIA'S MAIN MISSILE TESTING CENTER IN THE EASTERN STATE OF ORISSA, DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SITANSHU KAR TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. THE LAUNCH OF INDIA'S LONGEST-RANGE MISSILE, ABLE TO FLY 3,000 KILOMETERS (1,865 MILES), HAS BEEN VIEWED AS A ROUTINE TEST. THE MISSILE WAS LAUNCHED AT 11:03 INDIAN TIME (0635 GMT) AND «TOOK OFF SUCCESSFULLY,» KAR SAID. «DETAILS OF THE FLIGHT PERFORMANCE ARE BEING ANALYZED BY THE MISSION TEAM.» THE MISSILE SPLASHED DOWN NEAR THE NICOBAR ISLANDS IN THE BAY OF BENGAL. INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER PRANAB MUKHERJEE WAS AT THE LAUNCH COMPLEX, ON WHEELER ISLAND OFF ORISSA, TO WITNESS THE TEST, THE PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEWS AGENCY REPORTED. THE AGNI-III FURTHER BOOSTS INDIA'S HOMEGROWN MISSILE ARSENAL, WHICH INCLUDES THE SHORT-RANGE PRITHVI BALLISTIC MISSILE, THE MEDIUM-RANGE AKASH, THE ANTI-TANK NAG AND THE SUPERSONIC BRAHMOS MISSILE, DEVELOPED JOINTLY WITH RUSSIA.
