On Wednesday, India carried out a successful test of the ‘Agni-5’ intermediate-range ballistic missile, showcasing its strategic military power. According to the defence ministry, the launch from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, “validated all operational and technical parameters.”

“The intermediate-range ballistic missile 'Agni 5' was successfully test-fired from the integrated test range, Chandipur, in Odisha on August 20,” the ministry said in a brief statement. “The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.”

The Agni-5 is India’s most advanced nuclear-capable missile, with a strike range of over 5,000 km, capable of reaching northern parts of China. The missile is solid-fuelled and three-stage and can be launched from a canister, making it flexible to transport and fire from different locations.

This trial comes more than a year after the Agni-5 was initially tested with multiple-warhead capability, known as MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle), during ‘Mission Divyastra’ on March 11, 2024. The MIRV system enables a single missile to carry three to four nuclear warheads, each released at different speeds and trajectories to strike separate targets hundreds of kilometres apart. However, the Agni-5 with MIRV will require several more trials before it becomes fully operational.

At present, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), set up in 2003 to oversee India’s nuclear arsenal, is equipped only with single-warhead ballistic missiles. These include the Pakistan-focused Prithvi-2 (350 km) and Agni-1 (700 km), along with Agni-2 (2,000 km), Agni-3 (3,000 km), and the long-range Agni-5 designed mainly for China.

“The test of the solid-fuelled, three-stage Agni-5 on Wednesday was a routine training trial carried out periodically by the SFC of already inducted missiles,” an official said.

India is also strengthening its nuclear triad. The naval leg will expand with the commissioning of INS Aridhaman this year, joining INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. The DRDO and SFC are also conducting pre-induction night trials of the new Agni-Prime missile (1,000–2,000 km), which will gradually replace Agni-1 and Agni-2.

Meanwhile, China continues to expand its nuclear arsenal, with ICBMs like DongFeng-5 and DF-41 and plans to increase warheads to 1,500 by 2035. India currently has 180 warheads, while Pakistan has 170.

You might also be interested in: UP man wanted his wife to be Nora Fatehi, forced her to exercise, and killed her foetus