India Says Test Of Nuclear-Capable Missile Fails

Officials in India say their first test of an upgraded version of a nuclear-capable missile failed today.

A Defense Ministry spokesman, Sitanushu Kar, said the surface-to-surface Agni-II Plus missile fell into the Bay of Bengal shortly after it was launched from an island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa.

The missile is one of a series being developed as part of India's nuclear deterrence strategy.

It is said to have a strike range of 2,500 and 3,000 kilometers, bridging the gap between the Agni-II missile with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers and the Agni-III, India's most powerful missile with a range of up to 3,500 kilometers.

compiled from agency reports