India successfully tests long-range Agni-5 ballistic missile at Chandipur range

The missile was fired at 18:56 local time and the trial was completed successfully. According to the ministry, “all the operational and technical parameters of the missile have been confirmed.”

Agni-5 measures about 17.5 metres in length, has a diameter of 2 metres and weighs 50,000 kilograms. It is designed in a three-stage configuration with solid-fuelled engines, enhancing its reliability and ease of handling.

The missile is stored in a canister on a mobile Tatra-based ground platform, which supports rapid deployment. Its estimated range of 5,800 kilometres enables it to target almost the entire Asian continent, including northern China, as well as parts of Europe.

This capability makes Agni-5 a central element of India’s nuclear deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific security environment. The missile has been developed under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative with contributions from DRDO, Bharat Dynamics Limited and private-sector partners.

Future upgrades could expand the missile’s range and flexibility. Plans include integration with a system of multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles and a space-based command and control system.