India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Agni 5 ballistic missile

PTI: India successfully test-fired on Monday its nuclear-capable, intercontinental ballistic missile Agni 5, which has a range of over 5,000 km covering whole of China, from Abdul Kalam island off Odisha coast.

Defence sources said the successful test-firing will pave way for the user trial of the most potent Indian missile and its eventual induction into the special 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 tonnes, the surface-to-surface missile majestically rose from the confines of its canister flawlessly and achieved all targets, sources in Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said.

It is the fourth developmental and second canisterised trial of the missile.

While the first test was conducted on 19 April 2012, the second was on 15 September 2013 and the third on 31 January 2015 from the same base.

Among the missiles of Agni series, the latest Agni-5 is the most advanced, having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine, the sources said.

The first two flights of Agni-5 in 2012 and 2013 were in open configuration and had already proved the missile.

The third test in 2015 and Monday’s launch from a canister integrated with a sophisticated mobile launcher were in its deliverable configuration that enables launch of the missile with a very short preparation time as compared to an open launch, they said.

At present, India possesses Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-II with 2000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 range in its armoury of Agni missile series, they said.

India has formally declared itself a nuclear weapon state. New Delhi is likely to have manufactured weapons-grade plutonium for at least 100-120 warheads, which are not deployed but in central storage - Reuters/Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation