India’s most powerful nuclear capable Agni-V ballistic missile successfully test-fired off Odisha coast

India successfully test-fired Agni-V, the intercontinental surface to surface nuclear capable ballistic missile from a test range in Odisha, on Thursday.

The most powerful missile was test-fired from Abdul Kalam island off the Odisha coast at 9:53 am, news agency ANI said. 

The indigenously-developed surface-to-surface missile, Agni-5, is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km away. It is about 17-metre long, 2-metre wide and has launch weight of around 50 tonnes. The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.

Unlike other missiles of Agni series, the latest one 'Agni-5' is the most advanced having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.

Lot of new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in the first Agni-5 trial. The redundant navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) had ensured the Missile reach the target point within few metres of accuracy.

The high-speed on board computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the missile flawlessly.

India has at present in its armoury of Agni series, Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2,000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with with 2,500 km to more than 3500 km range.

After some few more trials, Agni-5 will be inducted into the services.