Agni 5, Indias Longest Range Ballistic Missile, Successfully Test-FiredIndia today successfully test-launched Agni-5, its longest range ballistic missile, for the third time off the Odisha coast. The missile was launched from a canister from Wheeler Island, giving it higher road mobility.
With a range of 5000 km, the nuclear-capable missile can carry a warhead in the east as far as all of China and in the west all over Europe.
The three-stage missile is about 17 metres long and weighs 50 tons.
India carried out two successful tests of the basic version of Agni-5 in 2012 and 2013.
The development of Agni-5 began in 2009 and according to DRDO it will likely be inducted in 2015.
Agni-5 gives India the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land at will from anywhere in India. It will give India the ability to hit back or have second-strike capability even after a nuclear strike.