Indian Army Tests Nuclear-Capable Agni Missile

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- India's army has tested the nuclear-capable Agni missile, a Defense Ministry official said.

The surface-to-surface Agni II missile is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets around 2,000 kilometers away, officials said.

"It was a routine user trial carried out by the army which went off well," Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said on May 19.

The 20-meter-long missile can carry a payload of 1,000 kilograms and its range can be increased to 3,000 kilometers by reducing the load.

India's nuclear-armed rival Pakistan is also developing a range of missiles.