India Gears Up To Test Fire ‘China Killer’ Agni-V Nuclear Missile Today

India’s longest range nuclear delivery system, the 5,000-km range Agni-V ballistic missile, will be test-fired today for the fourth time from Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island), off the Odisha coast, today. The missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to reach targets in China and has often been dubbed as India’s ‘China Killer’ missile. The three stage, solid propellant missile will be test-fired from a mobile launcher.

The indigenously-developed Agni-V is almost 17-metre long, 2-metre wide and can carry a nuclear warhead weighing more than one tonne. It is the most advanced Agni series missile and incorporates new technologies in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. India currently has the following in its armoury of Agni series missiles: Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2,000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500 km to more than 3500 km range.

According to Dr Sanjay Badri-Maharaj, an independent defence analyst, the long awaited fourth test of India’s Agni-V missile will mark a major milestone in the development of India’s Credible Minimum Deterrent posture (CMD). Being placed on a road-mobile launcher, the missile will be much more survivable in the event of a preemptive strike.

Also Read: A Game-Changer: Agni-V Marks A Shift In India’s Nuclear Deployment Strategy