India's test of nuclear-capable missile fails

India carried out an unsuccessful maiden test Friday of an upgraded version of its nuclear-capable, medium-range Agni-II ballistic missile, defence sources said.

The surface-to-surface "Agni-II plus" was fired from a mobile rail launcher on Wheeler Island off the coast of the western state of Orissa, but dropped into the sea shortly into its planned flight, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear why the test had failed. The missile has two stages, both fuelled by solid propellants.

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