India Sunday successfully tested for the second time an intercontinental nuclear-capable ballistic missile and planned to start production after further trials, officials said.
The Agni-V was launched early from a test range on Wheeler Island located off the coast of Orissa state in eastern India, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Gupta said.
"The missile hit its target in the Indian Ocean in 20 minutes, all desired mission objectives of this developmental test were met," Gupta said.
The 17-metre-long and 2-metre-wide missile developed by the DRDO can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne, and has a range of 5000 kilometres, dpa reported.
Gupta said there would be four or five more trials, the first of which would be in two or three months' time, before the missile was put into production and used by the armed forces.