India test-fires Agni-IV missile as part of user trial - India today test-fired its nuclear-capable strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV with ability of hitting a target at a distance of 4,000 kms from a test range off the Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the armed forces.

The sleek missile was flight tested from the launch complex-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island, formerly called Wheeler Island, at about 0945 hours, defence sources said.

The indigenously developed surface-to-surface Agni-IV missile with two-stage weapon system is 20 metres long and weighs 17 tonnes. The trial was piloted by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the army, sources said.

Agni-IV missile is furnished with 5th generation onboard computer and distributed architecture and it has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances. Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi are already inducted in the armed forces, giving them reach of over 3000 kms and providing the country an effective deterrence capability, defence sources said.

Radars and electro-optical systems were put along the coast of Odisha for tracking and monitoring all the parameters of the missile and two Indian naval ships were positioned near the target area to witness the final event.

This was the fifth trial of Agni-IV missile. The last trial piloted by SFC of the army on December 2, 2014 was successful.