The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the first pre-induction night launch of the new generation ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on Wednesday at around 7.30 pm, a statement from DRDO on Thursday read.

According to the official statement, during the flight test, all objectives were successfully demonstrated. This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile, which validated the accuracy and reliability of the system.

Taking to Twitter, DRDO wrote, “First Pre Induction night launch of New Generation Ballistic Missile Agni Prime was successfully conducted off the coast of Odisha on 07 June 2023.”

The statement said that range instruction 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.

Meanwhile, senior DRDO officials and Strategic Forces Command bore witness to the successful flight test which paved the way for its induction into the Armed Forces.

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the Armed Forces for the success along with the copy-book performance of the New Generation Ballistic Missile Agni Prime.

The Secretary to the Department of Defence R&D Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also appreciated the efforts put in by the teams of DRDO laboratories and the users involved in the test launch.