According to the Indian Ministry of Defence on August 20, 2025, the Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) completed a successful test launch. The launch was conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, under the Strategic Forces Command overseeing India’s nuclear arsenal. The user-training launch met all technical parameters, demonstrating operational readiness and reinforcing India’s long-range precision strike capabilities as part of its nuclear deterrence posture.
The Agni-5 is the most advanced missile in India’s Agni series, marking a major technological leap in the country’s ballistic missile program. The missile is approximately 17.5 meters long, 2 meters in diameter, and weighs around 50,000 kilograms. Its three-stage solid-propellant propulsion system significantly enhances range, acceleration, and reliability compared to earlier versions. The road-mobile system is housed in a hermetically sealed canister on a high-mobility launcher vehicle, allowing rapid deployment, storage, and cold launch capability across diverse terrains.
Equipped with a ring laser gyroscope-based inertial navigation system (RLG-INS) and augmented by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the missile achieves a circular error probability (CEP) of 10–20 meters. The re-entry vehicle features carbon-carbon composite shielding, capable of withstanding temperatures above 3,000°C during terminal phase re-entry. With an estimated range of 5,800 km, the Agni-5 can cover the entire Asian continent.
Regionally, the missile strengthens India’s deterrence against key strategic competitors, China and Pakistan. While Pakistan’s Shaheen-III is limited to roughly 2,750 km, China possesses a broader array of systems including the DF-26 (4,000 km) and the intercontinental DF-41. Agni-5 fills a strategic niche by reaching mainland China and its key political, military, and economic centers such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou.
The canisterized configuration represents a doctrinal shift toward rapid-response capabilities, essential for credible second-strike options under India’s No First Use (NFU) policy. The missile can be launched from a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) in under five minutes, with the sealed canister enhancing survivability during transport and storage. High accuracy enables counterforce targeting potential, bolstering deterrence by threatening hardened military infrastructure deep within adversary territory.
Agni-5’s strategic relevance is heightened by India’s evolving security environment. Persistent tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, combined with China’s growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean and its alliance with Pakistan through CPEC, underscore the need for credible deterrence. In this context, Agni-5 not only discourages full-scale attacks but reassures allies of India’s strategic stability.
The missile also reflects India’s commitment to indigenous defense modernization under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative. Developed by DRDO in collaboration with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and private partners, Agni-5 exemplifies Indian engineering excellence in missile technology. Following the successful user launch, Agni-5 is expected to be formally inducted into the Strategic Forces Command arsenal, cementing its role in India’s long-range nuclear deterrence strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.
