The surface-to-surface Agni-III missile with a range of more than 3,000 kilometres (2,000 miles) was tested from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa.

"All the parameters have been met, the test was successful," the source told AFP, adding the missile was fired from a railway mobile launcher.

It was the fourth test of the weapon, which can carry conventional or nuclear payloads of 1.5 tonnes and uses solid fuel.

India on Wednesday said it was open to foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan, signalling a major breakthrough in relations frozen since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

New Delhi had steadfastly refused to restart talks until Islamabad brought those behind the Mumbai attacks to justice and cracked down on militant groups on its soil.

India and Pakistan launched a peace dialogue in 2004 that helped lower tensions between the nuclear-armed nations, notably over the disputed region of Kashmir.

The Agni-III -- Agni means fire in Sanskrit -- was first tested in 2006 and brings major cities in China, such as Shanghai, within striking distance, defence analysts say.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News