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The maiden test launch of Agni-II Plus, a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile with a strike range of 2,500 km to 3,000 km, ended in a massive failure after the missile dropped off to the sea a few seconds after it was launched from Wheeler Island off coastal waters of Orissa on Bay of Bengal at 10 am. The Agni-II Plus, a modified version of Agni-II, is an intermediary between Agni-II and Agni-III. It has two stages and both are powered by solid propellants. DRDO sources said soon after the missile took off, it dropped into the sea. ‘We are still investigating how it happened’, said a source. Thursday;s failure comes in the wake of a similar failure of Prithvi-II missile on 24 September that dropped off just a few seconds after the launch. The failure comes 10 days after the successful flight of surface-to-surface missile Agni-I on 25 November. DRDO was hoping that Thursday’s test firing would add teeth to India’s nuclear deterrence. The Agni-II plus or A-2, manufactured by DRDO’s Advanced System Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad, had a higher range, higher performance with respect to the thrust and weight ratio than Agni-II missile. The new missile would perform better at various levels in terms of accuracy, strength and distance covered in comparison to Agni-II. Agni II plus can carry extra fuel and will have a new motor in its re-entry vehicle for better maneuverability, a flex nozzle in the second stage to avoid antiballistic missile defenses and an improved navigation system.