Agni 5 missile with 5,000-km striking range test-fired

India has once again demonstrated its strategic prowess with the successful test-firing of the Agni 5 missile, a nuclear-capable system with a range exceeding 5,000 km.

The Ministry of Defence said the intermediate range ballistic missile Agni 5 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. “The launch validated all operational and technical parameters,” it said.

This marks nearly 10^th test of the Agni 5 missile since April 2012. The missile system is equipped with indigenous avionics and high-accuracy sensor packages, ensuring its re-entry vehicles can strike targets with precision. It is powered by a three-stage solid-fuelled engine.

The missile can bring almost the entire Asia, including the northernmost part of China and some regions in Europe, under its striking range.

A significant upgrade was validated last year with the testing of an Agni 5 featuring multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology. This capability allows a single missile to carry multiple warheads and strike different locations independently.