India test-fires sea-based nuclear-capable missile

INDIA: India on Tuesday successfully conducted its first test of a nuclear-capable missile from an undersea platform, the defence ministry said.

The launch from a submerged pontoon took place off India's southeast coast near the port city of Visakhapatnam around 1:00 pm (0730 GMT), a defence ministry spokesman said.

"The test was successful. We are waiting further details," said the spokesman who declined to be named. India announced earlier this month it would conduct its first test of a submarine-based ballistic missile named the K-15 which has a top range of 700 kilometres (438 miles) to complete a triad of nuclear-capable land, air and ballistic systems.

The test comes two months after India's chief military scientist M. Natarajan said that New Delhi would test a ballistic missile with a range of 6,000 kilometres in 2008.

New Delhi, Tuesday, AFP