India successfully tested its Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile ‘Agni 5’. In a move that is being seen as a major boost to the defence sector of the country, the test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha, on Wednesday.
In a statement issued here today, the Ministry of Defence stated that the launch validated all operational and technical parameters. “It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command,” the statement read. The inaugural test of the Agni-5 missile took place on April 19, 2012.
This is the most sophisticated missile in the Agni series, a group of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles that serve as a key component of India’s land-based nuclear defence strategy.
The missile recently test-fired is an advanced version of the Agni-5, India’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range exceeding 7,000 kilometers. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), earlier reports had indicated plans to enhance the missile’s range to approximately 7,500 kilometers.
India’s Agni missile arsenal now includes Agni-1 with a range of 700 kilometers, Agni-2 capable of reaching 2,000 kilometers, and Agni-3 and Agni-4, which have ranges between 2,500 kilometers and over 3,500 kilometers.