Agni II likely to be tested Monday

BALASORE(Orissa): India's nuclear capable Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile, with a striking range of 2,000 km, is likely to be test fired as part of user trial by the army from the Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast tomorrow."The trial of the indigenously made sophisticated missile is to be conducted from the ITR in the Wheelers Island, about 70 km from Chandipur defence base sea," Defence sources said today.Range integration work in the ITR for the proposed trial of Agni-II missile is complete and after a final check-up in the sub-systems of the missile, the mission will be taken up tomorrow, they said.It is a user's trial by army and Strategic Forces Command (SFC) would conduct the test with logistic support provided by the ITR, the sources said."All necessary preparations for the trial have been completed and if everything goes well, the trial will be conducted as per schedule tomorrow," they said.Senior officials, experts and scientists would be present during the trial, they said.