NEW DELHI: India successfully test-fired the Agni 5 intercontinental ballistic missile amid ongoing border tensions with China. This is India’s longest range missile test – 5500 km. Agni 5, part of the nuclear command, has been tested before but this is the first time it has been successfully tested at full range.
The night-time launch of the nuclear-capable Agni was carried out off the coast of Odisha. The missile traveled to the west coast of Australia in the Indian Ocean. The missile will be able to target the whole of China, including the capital Beijing.
In Europe it covers Moscow in Russia and in Africa Nairobi in Kenya. Ahead of the test, India issued a notice to airmen the other day banning air traffic in the area where the missile would pass through the Indian Ocean.
India has developed a similar range submarine-launched missile (K5). It will be tested soon.
Agni 5 missile
∙ Range : 5500 km.
∙ Weight: 50,000 kg.
∙ Length : 17.5 meters.
∙ Loadable nuclear warhead: 1500 kg.
∙ Maximum speed: 24 times the speed of sound.
∙ Countries with similar range missiles: US, Russia, China, France, Israel.
∙ Range of other fire missiles:
Agni 1: 700 km, Agni 2: 2000 km,
Agni 3: 3500 km, Agni 4: 4000 km.
English Summary: India successfully tests Agni V missile