India testfires underwater ballistic missile

NEW DELHI - India Sunday successfully testfired its first nuclear capable, underwater ballistic missile off the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, a top defense official has said.

The missile K-5 (code named B05) was testfired off the Visakhapatnam coast for its full range of 700 km and the mission met all its objectives, scientific advisor to India Defence Minister, V.K. Saraswat, was quoted by the local media as saying.

With the testfiring, the missile completed its developmental trials. Soon, the process of integrating K-15 missile with INS Arihant, the indigenously built nuclear submarine, will begin.

India is the fifth country to have such a missile, after the US, Russia, France and China.