Agni-5: India successfully test-fires surface to surface ballistic missile

India, in a major boost to its military target, successfully test-fired surface to surface ballistic missile Agni-5 on October 27, 2021. The missile can strike a target at a range up to 5,000 km with a very high degree of accuracy.

The test-firing of Agni-5 was carried around 7.50 PM from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, in Odisha. As per the Defence Ministry, the successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s stated policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.

The successful test-firing of surface to surface ballistic missile Agni-5 has also come in the midst of a lingering border stand-off with China in Eastern Ladakh.

Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, successfully launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, today. The missile, which uses 3-stage solid-fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy: Govt of India pic.twitter.com/vrAI2y2LhD

— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2021

Agni-5 ballistic missile: Key Details

• Agni-5, the indigenously developed surface to surface missile, is capable of striking a target at the range of up to 5,000 km. The missile used 3-stage solid-fuelled engine. 

• The missile is about 17-metre long, 2-metre wide, and had a launch weight of around 50 tonnes.

• Agni-5, India’s ballistic missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.

• A lot of new technologies that have been developed indigenously were also successfully tested in the first Agni-5 trial.

• The very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS), redundant navigation system, and most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) ensured that the missile reach the target point within a few meters of accuracy.

What makes the Agni-5 missile different?

Unlike the other missiles of India’s Agni Series, the latest one Agni-5 is the most advanced. It has some new technologies that are incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead, and engine.

As per the official, the high-speed onboard computer and the fault-tolerant software along with reliable and robust bus guided India’s Agni-5 missile flawlessly.