(NAN) India, on Thursday, test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Agni-V, having a strike range of over 5,000 km, from off the Odisha coast in eastern India.
The missile test-firing is being dubbed as another step forward toward its eventual induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
A few more user-trials are yet to be conducted before the 50-tonne missile is produced in adequate numbers for induction.
The tri-Service SFC was established in 2003 to manage India’s nuclear arsenal.
“We have successfully launched nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V today,” media reports quoted Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as saying.
Apart from the shorter-range missile “Prithvi” and “Dhanush,” the SFC has already inducted the “Agni-I,” “Agni-II” and “Agni-III” missiles in its arsenal.
The Agni missile, (also the Hindu God of Fire), is a family of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India, named after one of the five elements of nature.
Agni Missiles are long range, nuclear weapons capable surface to surface ballistic missile.
The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and tested in 1989.
The Agni missile was designated as a special programme in India’s defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development.
As of 2008, the Agni missile family comprises three deployed variants while two more variants are under testing.