In a major boost to the country’s airspace capabilities, India on Wednesday successfully launched Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5 at 7.50 pm from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile, which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy.
The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni-5 or Agni-V is a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that can target entire China and also into Europe. It is one of the longest range missiles India have.
Major Gaurav Arya called Agni-5 a formidable strategic missile and said that it can directly trouble China. “This missile has nothing to do with Pakistan, it does not even consider Pakistan as a possible landing target. This is an aim at China, which is very important,” he noted.
In August, India successfully tested the DRDO’s Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) off the coast of Odisha. In July, India had test-fired its indigenous developed New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG). It is a Surface to Air Missile defence system launched in Balasore, Odisha. It is said to strike targets at a distance of 60 km
