New Delhi: India Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Agni-V ballistic missile having a range of over 5,000 km, marking a significant boost to the country’s strategic deterrence, people familiar with the development said. The test-firing of the missile from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast came amid India’s lingering border row with China.
Existing variant Agni-IV is capable of hitting targets at a range of 4,000 km while Agni-III has a range of 3,000-km, and Agni-II can fly up to 2,000-km. The Agni-V missile has been successfully test-fired, two people familiar with the matter said. There is, however, no official word on the test-firing of the missile. The test firing of the missile is part of the process for its induction into the tri-services strategic forces command. The people said the test validated a number of critical aspects of the weapon. In June, India successfully carried out a night launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-IV ballistic missile, in a boost to India’s military capabilities. India has been steadily enhancing its overall military might in the last couple of years.
It has carried out successful tests of a number of missiles during the period. In May, the extended-range version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from a Sukhoi fighter jet. It was the first launch of the extended-range version of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft. An anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command in April.