Amid fresh war of words with China, India successfully test-fired its Agni-V long-range ICBM which was launched from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast at 9:53am local time on Thursday, January 18.
The nuclear-capable missile, the most advanced in the Agni series of ballistic missiles, can strike targets more than 5,000 km away, meaning the vast majority of China and Europe come in its range.
The missile was test-fired from a canister launcher, mounted on a mobile platform, at about 9.54 am from No. 4 launch pad of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island. The 17-metre tall, two-metre wide sophisticated missile, which can carry a 1.5 tonne nuclear warhead, travelled for 19 minutes and covered 4,900 km.
India’s defence ministry hailed the test as a “major boost” to the nation’s defence capabilities. “We have successfully launched nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V today,” said defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
With this launch, India has joined an exclusive club of countries, including Russia, the US and China, with ICBMs with ranges of more than 5,000 km.
The launch is likely to infuriate China and Pakistan, both of which condemned India when it last tested the missile in December 2016.
A border dispute in the Himalayan region of Doklam had led to heightened military tensions between Beijing and New Delhi in 2017.
India has at present in its armoury of Agni series, Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2500 km to more than 3500km range. The first test of Agni-5 was conducted on 19 April 2012, the second on 15 September 2013, the third on 31 January 2015 and fourth trial on 26 December 2016 from the same base.
In a bid to boost its nuclear arsenal, the Indian army is modifying the Agni missile to make it capable of carrying nuclear warheads. India is believed to have about 120 to 130 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
The President of India took to Twitter to congratulate the team of scientists behind the launch: “Successful test firing of Agni-V ICBM makes every Indian very proud. It will boost our strategic defence. Congratulations to the team of DRDO scientists. May you go further on this trajectory #PresidentKovind.”
Media reports quoting sources described the trial as “fully successful”. “After four successful developmental trials, this was the first user associate test of Agni-5 missile,” said the sources.
‘Agni-5’ is most advanced missile in the Agni series with new technologies incorporated in it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. “The redundant Navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) had ensured the missile reached the target point within few metres of accuracy.
“The high speed on board computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the missile flawlessly,” said an official of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), media reports said.
The missile path is precisely directed by the advanced on-board computer and inertial navigation system, the official added. The first two successful flights of Agni-5 in 2012 and 2013 were in open configuration. The third, fourth and today’s launch from a canister, integrated with a mobile sophisticated launcher, were in its deliverable configuration that enables launch of the missile with a very short preparation time as compared to an open configuration. It also has advantages of higher reliability, longer shelf life, less maintenance and enhanced mobility.