India on Friday successfully test-fired the short-range ballistic missile ‘Agni-1’ from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, the defence ministry said. The launch validated all operational and technical parameters and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.
The Agni series missiles — Agni-1 to Agni-4 — have strike ranges between 700 km and 3,500 km and are already operationally deployed.
Two weeks ago, India had successfully conducted a flight trial of the advanced Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, significantly boosting the country’s strategic deterrence capability. The defence ministry said the missile was tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on Friday and successfully met all mission objectives.
The Agni-5 MIRV system can deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets spread across hundreds of kilometres, making it far more destructive than conventional single-warhead missiles. The missile, powered by a three-stage solid-fuel engine, has a strike range of over 5,000 km.
According to the ministry, the missile was flight-tested with multiple payloads directed at geographically dispersed targets in the Indian Ocean Region. Flight data confirmed the successful performance of all operational and technical parameters.
{{/usCountry}}According to the ministry, the missile was flight-tested with multiple payloads directed at geographically dispersed targets in the Indian Ocean Region. Flight data confirmed the successful performance of all operational and technical parameters.
{{/usCountry}}India had first tested the Agni-5 missile with MIRV capability in March 2024 under ‘Mission Divyastra’, a codename revealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The successful tests place India among a select group of countries — including the US, UK, France, Russia and China — that possess MIRV missile technology.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agni-5 MIRV system features indigenous avionics and high-accuracy sensor packages. The earlier 2024 test was led by a woman DRDO scientist and involved several women scientists.