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India has has tested its longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile called Agni-III for first time. It developed a snag and fell into the sea off the coast of Orissa without hitting the target. The missile went up vertically to a height of about 12 km before the snag developed. The Agni-III surface-to-surface missile was test-fired off the coast of Orissa state. The Agni-III is India's most sophisticated long-range missile and is designed to carry a nuclear warhead. Analysts say it has a range of more than 3000 km - it can reach target as far as Shanghai and Beijing in China.

India says the test is routine and not aimed at the arch-rival Pakistan. Both countries regularly test missiles. The testing of the missile in India has been repeatedly put off since November 2004 for various reasons, including once for technical problems.

The last week North Korea also fired missiles without warning into the sea of Japan.

India tests new balistic missile.

About the Author

The author of this article about India is Jan Sun, a publisher in Economics & Politics, where you can find a lot of economic and political articles and opinions.