Chandipur, Odisha | August 20, 2025 — In a grand display of strategic muscle, India on Tuesday successfully tested its nuclear-capable Agni-5 ICBM from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island along Odisha coast. The test is a dramatic boost to India’s long-range deterrence capability, reiterating the country’s determination to retain a strong and credible nuclear deterrent in the face of a rapidly changing geopolitical scenario.
What is Agni-5?
The Agni-5 is India’s most sophisticated Agni missile, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is a canisterized solid-fueled three-stage ballistic missile that can hit targets up to 5,000 kilometers away a range that places all of China, significant portions of Europe, and the entire Pakistan within its striking distance.
Key features:
- Range: More than 5,000 km
- Payload: 1.5 tons (either nuclear or conventional)
- Mobility: Road-mobile and canister-based for rapid deployment
- Launch platform: Road and rail canisterized launch system
- Navigation: Ring laser gyroscopes with high accuracy and sophisticated inertial navigation system
Defense strategists have termed Agni-5 as a game-changer for India’s nuclear policy, particularly given the addition of Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) capabilities — for a single missile to carry and deliver multiple warheads to target points.
Strategic Context and Purpose
This test is occurring in a period of increasing international and regional turmoil, including:
Protracted tensions along the border with China in eastern Ladakh
Multiple ceasefire violations and threatening rhetoric by Pakistan
A burgeoning missile race in Asia, with North Korea and China increasing their ICBM stockpiles
The Agni-5 is also regarded as an essential column of India’s “credible minimum deterrence” policy and no-first-use nuclear doctrine. With having the capability of delivering a precise, long-range second-strike attack, India is keeping its deterrence credible against a first strike.
“This test enhances the strategic position of India. It clearly conveys the message that our second-strike capability is safe, reliable, and state-of-the-art,” stated a senior defense official.
Defence Ministry Official Statement
“India today successfully test-fired a user trial of the Agni-5 missile system from the Integrated Test Range off Odisha coast. The mission accomplished all mission objectives and proves the operational capability of the Strategic Forces Command,” the Ministry of Defence announced in an official release.