India on Sunday successfully test-fired a 3,500-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile, K-4, official sources said. The test was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from a submerged pontoon off the Visakhapatnam coast around noon.

“The test was conducted from a submerged pontoon and has met the desired parameters. A pontoon simulates the situation of a launch from a submarine,” an official source said on condition on anonymity.

The missile has been tested several times earlier as part of developmental trials to validate different parameters, the source said. “The missile ejecting from a submerged platform to the surface [sea] is the toughest part.”

There are very few countries which have managed to achieve this technological breakthrough, a second official source said. “Our Circular Error Probability (CEP) is much more sophisticated than Chinese missiles,” the source said. The CEP determines the accuracy of a missile. The lower the CEP, the more accurate the missile is.

Once inducted, these missiles will be the mainstay of the Arihant class of indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarines and will give India the stand-off capability to launch nuclear weapons submerged in Indian waters. INS Arihant , the first and only operational SSBN, is armed with K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 km.

GET RARE PAGES OF JAN 26, 1950 EDITION FREE with the Hindu subscription

Already have an account ? Sign in

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

To continue enjoying The Hindu, You can turn off your ad blocker or Subscribe to The Hindu.

Sign up for a 30 day free trial.