India Tests 5,000 Km Range Agni-V Missile In Indian Ocean Amid Renewed Tensions With China In Arunachal

The Strategic Forces Command, part of the Nuclear Command Authority headed by the Prime Minister, has tested its Agni-V nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile in the Indian Ocean.

The test of 5,000-kilometer range missile comes amid renewed tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang earlier this month. Chinese forces, attempting to take control of a tactically important peak, were chased back to their post across the LAC by a larger number of Indian soldiers in the area.

India had issued a notification for the test last month — weeks before the clashes with the People's Liberation Army in Tawang.

The test of the missile was conducted from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island (formerly known as Wheeler Island) off the coast of Odisha.

The induction of the Agni-V has brought Beijing and many other Chinese cities within the range of Indian land-based nuclear weapons.

In the past, Chinese experts have claimed that the actual range of the Agni-V missile could be around 8,000 km and suggested that India has "deliberately downplayed the missile's capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries" in the region.

Also Read: Destination Beijing: Why Agni-V Is A Game Changer For India