India Successfully Tests Agni-5 Ballistic Missile- 2025

India successfully test-fired its advanced Agni-5 ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha, under the command of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The trial validated all technical and operational parameters and further strengthened India’s strategic deterrence capability.

Key Highlights

• Missile Tested: Variant of Agni-5, India’s indigenously developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
• Range: Over 5,000 km (Intermediate–Intercontinental category).
• Developer: DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation).
• Technology: Equipped with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) capability.
• Power: Uses a three-stage solid-fuel engine.
• Significance: Places India among a select group of nations (US, Russia, China, France) with MIRV-capable ICBMs.

Recent Missile Developments

• March 2024 – DRDO successfully tested Agni-5 with MIRV under Mission Divyastra.
• July 2025 – India tested Prithvi-II (range: 350 km, payload 500 kg) & Agni-I (range: 700–900 km, payload 1,000 kg).
• July 2025 – Test-fired ‘Pralay’, a tactical surface-to-surface missile (range: 150–500 km, payload: 500–1,000 kg).

About Agni-5

• Type: Nuclear-capable, land-based Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile (SSBM).
• Range: 5,000+ km.
• Payload: Multiple nuclear warheads via MIRV technology.
• Guided by: Advanced navigation and guidance systems.
• Origin: Part of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)

• Launched: 1983, led by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
• Objective: Develop a comprehensive range of indigenous missiles.
• Five Missiles under IGMDP:
  1. Prithvi – Short-range ballistic missile.
  2. Agni – Medium to long-range ballistic missile family.
  3. Akash – Surface-to-air missile.
  4. Trishul – Short-range surface-to-air missile.
  5. Nag – Anti-tank guided missile.

Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missiles (SSBM) – Classification

• Short-range: <1,000 km (e.g., Prithvi-II).
• Medium-range: 1,000–3,000 km (e.g., Agni-II).
• Intermediate-range: 3,000–5,500 km (e.g., Agni-III, Agni-IV).
• Intercontinental (ICBM): >5,500 km (Agni-5 category).

What is MIRV and Why is it Important?

MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle):

• Allows a single missile to carry and deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets.
• Enhances strike capability and makes missile defence systems harder to counter.

History:

• First MIRV-ed ICBM: US Minuteman III (1970).
• First MIRV-ed SLBM: US Poseidon (1971).

Key Facts

• DRDO HQ: New Delhi.
• Chairman DRDO (2025): Dr. Samir V. Kamat.
• Strategic Forces Command (SFC):
  • Part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).
  • Responsible for managing India’s nuclear arsenal.
• ICBM Holders (as of 2025): US, Russia, China, France, UK, North Korea, India.
• India’s Nuclear Doctrine (2003):
  • Credible Minimum Deterrence.
  • No First Use (NFU).
• Integrated Test Range (ITR): Chandipur, Odisha → Key missile testing site.