Balasore: The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was testfired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here yesterday (Feb4, 2007).

"After a vertical lift-off at 12.15 pm from launch pad number three at theITR, 15 km from here, the surface-to- surface missile rose into the sky leavingbehind a ribbon of white smoke," defence sources said.

"The launch was successful but we will have to analyse data for making anevaluation," a source said.

The launch was carried out from a mobile launcher, with an indigenously builtmulti-axle Tatra truck serving as the base platform.

The trajectory of the missile's flight was tracked by sophisticated instrumentsand radars on a ship located close to the point of impact in the Bay of Bengal, the sources said.

The Brahmos -named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers -- was developed bya joint venture company set up by Indiaand Russiafollowing an agreement signed by the two countries on February 12, 1998.

Since its first test on June 12, 2001 from the ITR complex, it has undergone adozen successful trials.