TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Amid heightened border tensions with China, India on Wednesday (Oct. 27) successfully test-fired the surface-to-surface Agni-V missile, which has a range of 5,000 kilometers, enabling it to strike most major Chinese cities.
At 7 p.m. India Standard Time on Wednesday (Oct. 27), Indian's Ministry of Defence announced that the Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army had launched the missile from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of the state of Odisha. The launch of the missile, which is capable of carrying Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV), had originally been slated for 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
According to a press release issued by the ministry, "The successful test of Agni-V is in line with India’s stated policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to no first use." The missile is propelled by a three-stage solid-fuel engine that can deliver a 1,500-kilogram payload and strike targets up to 5,000 km away, enabling it to target most of China, including key cities such as Beijing.
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation began to develop the missile in 2008 and has successfully tested it on seven previous occasions since April of 2012. Although India's defense ministry rarely discusses the nuclear capabilities of the missile, Indian media outlets reported that it can carry a nuclear warhead weighing up to one ton.
The test launch occurred as border talks between India and China are in deadlock and after the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress passed the new "Land Boundary Law" on Saturday (Oct. 23). Indian scholars worry that the new law may make the People's Liberation Army (PLA) more aggressive at the border.
Thousands of Indian and Chinese troops continue to be deployed along a desolate Himalayan border in the Ladakh region. Sporadic violence has erupted between the two sides over the past year despite over a dozen rounds of talks.
Congratulations @DRDO_India.A proud moment for the entire country as India conducts a successful test of its nuclear-capable #Agni5 missile today.
The Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile has a range of over 5,000 km. Its the longest range strategic missile of India! pic.twitter.com/ujntLLR7q7
— Arjun Munda (@MundaArjun) October 27, 2021