“The test firing was successful. The missile crossed over more than 3,500 km,” Ravi Gupta, director (Public Interface) at DRDO, said.

It was the first user trial of the long-range, nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-IV.

The operation was carried out by the Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC).

The two-stage, 17 tonne and 20-metre tall Agni-IV missile is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, and a fifth generation on-board computer.

It has the latest features to correct and guide itself through inflight disturbances.

This was the fourth success in a row for Agni-IV. The first was in November 2011, the second in September 2012 and the third in January 2014.

Agni-IV has already been inducted into the army, said DRDO sources.