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Odissa
India has successfully tested an advanced version of its Agni‑5 missile that can carry and deliver multiple nuclear warheads over a distance of more than 5,000 km, the defence ministry and defence officials have confirmed.
The test was conducted from the integrated test range in Odisha, with the missile fitted with multiple independently targetable re‑entry vehicles, or MIRVs. In this configuration, a single missile can release several warheads, each aimed at different targets spread across a wide area in the Indian Ocean region.
Officials said the flight data showed that all mission objectives, including the accuracy and separation of the payloads, were fully met. The Agni‑5 itself is a three‑stage, solid‑fuelled ballistic missile with an operational range of about 5,000–5,500 km, capable of carrying a nuclear payload of around 1,500 kg.
Analysts tracking the project estimate that the MIRV‑equipped Agni‑5 can deliver about four or five warheads in one launch, though the government has not officially confirmed the exact number. This test follows an earlier MIRV trial of the Agni‑5 in March 2024, which also validated the missile’s ability to release multiple warheads.
The defence establishment has described the Agni‑5 MIRV system as a key element of India’s strategic deterrence, giving it the ability to strike several targets at once at ranges that cover most of Asia and parts of Europe. Government sources have stressed that the missile is not a weapon of aggression but a guarantee of national security through credible deterrence.
