India’s most lethal missile Agni-V successfully tested

India on Monday successfully test-fired Agni-V, its most lethal nuclear-capable, inter-continental ballistic missile that has a range of over 5,000 km covering whole of China, from Abdul Kalam island off Odisha coast.

Defence sources said that the successful test-firing on Monday will pave the way for user trial of the missile and its eventual induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The three-stage, solid propellant surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 1105 hours, DRDO sources said.

About 17-metre long and weighing over 50 ton, the missile majestically rose from the confines of its canister flawlessly and achieved all targets, sources in Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said.

The Agni-V missile has a range of over 5,000 km.

At present, India possesses Agni-I with 700 km range, Agni-II with 2,000 km range, Agni-III and Agni-IV with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 range in its armoury of Agni missile series, they said.

It is the fourth developmental and second canisterised trial of the missile, integrated with a sophisticated mobile launcher in its deliverable configuration that enables launch of the missile with a very short preparation time as compared to an open launch, they said.

It also has advantages of higher reliability, longer shelf life, less maintenance and enhanced mobility.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar congratulated the DRDO scientists, saying it will add tremendous strength to the country’s strategic defence and deterrence capabilities.