On August 20, 2025, India successfully test-fired its Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The launch, conducted under the strategic forces command, validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile, marking a major advancement in the nation's strategic defence capabilities.
The Agni-5, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of over 5,000 kilometres. It is the most advanced missile in the Agni series, which forms the backbone of India's land-based nuclear deterrent. The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of up to 1.5 tonnes and is built with lightweight composite materials, which improves its efficiency and reliability.
Agni-5 is equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which allows a single missile to deliver multiple warheads at different targets, dramatically enhancing its strategic effectiveness. For pinpoint accuracy, it uses a ring laser gyroscope-based inertial navigation system (RLG-INS) and a micro-inertial navigation system (MINGS), supported by satellite navigation systems like India's NavIC and the US GPS. The missile uses a three-stage, solid-fuel propulsion system and is launched from a canisterised platform, which allows for rapid deployment, easier storage, and enhanced mobility.
In recent years, the missile has undergone several key upgrades, including improved avionics, better re-entry heat shielding, and enhanced guidance systems. The successful test reaffirms India's commitment to maintaining a “credible minimum deterrence posture”.
The test-firing of the Agni-5 missile is seen by some as a show of strength, particularly in light of escalating tensions with China and rising US tariff threats. The Agni-5 is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to any part of China. India and China, the world's two most populous nations, are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, and relations plummeted in 2020 after a deadly border clash. India is also part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, Australia, and Japan, which is seen as a counter to China.
India's relations with China have warmed recently with several bilateral visits, and Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Tianjin later this month in his first visit to the country since 2018. However, tensions remain, and the test-firing of the Agni-5 missile is a clear signal of India's resolve to protect its interests.
The test-fire also comes a week before US tariffs are set to double from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, unless India meets President Trump's demand that it stop buying Russian oil. Prime Minister Modi said this month that, in the face of US tariffs, India was seeking self-reliance with energy independence and the development of its own defence systems. New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan, and Australia, as an apparent counter to rival China.
