India Launches New Nuke-Capable Missile

By Staff, Agencies

India successfully test-fired the Agni-5 missile on Wednesday—a nuclear-capable ballistic weapon with a striking range of up to 5,000 km, the Defense Ministry announced.

The test, which was carried out from the Integrated Test Range in the eastern state of Odisha, “validated all operational and technical parameters,” the ministry said.

The intermediate-range ballistic missile can be deployed from mobile launchers and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads with high precision, with the help of advanced guidance systems. The missile's coverage area includes almost all of Asia and parts of Europe.

India has already deployed the Agni-1 to Agni-4 missiles, with ranges spanning 700km to 3,500km.

The South Asian country has also recently tested the Prithvi-II and Agni-I, both of which are nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles, as well as the newly developed Pralay tactical missile.