INDIA has successfully test-fired its Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, from its eastern state of Odisha.
AFP reported that the launch, which took place on Tuesday, was announced by the Ministry of Defence as having “validated all operational and technical parameters”.
The Agni-5 missile, developed indigenously, is a key component of India’s strategic arsenal and is believed to be capable of reaching any part of China, reflecting New Delhi’s growing focus on regional deterrence amid simmering tensions with Beijing.
Relations between India and China deteriorated significantly after a deadly border clash in 2020.
Despite attempts at diplomatic rapprochement — including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia in October 2024 — strategic competition remains acute. Modi is expected to visit China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, marking his first visit since 2018.
India is also a member of the Quad security dialogue with the United States, Australia and Japan, widely viewed as a counterbalance to China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The missile test comes at a time of mounting trade tensions between New Delhi and Washington. The United States has warned it will double import tariffs on Indian goods — from 25 to 50 per cent — by 27 August if India does not reduce its purchases of Russian crude oil, a major source of funding for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The Agni-5 test underscores India’s push for defence self-reliance and technological advancement, as well as its deepening but complex military and strategic ties with Western powers.
Meanwhile, India’s other long-standing regional rival, Pakistan, also possesses nuclear capabilities. The two countries came close to armed conflict in May after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan — an accusation Islamabad has denied.
The Agni-5 joins a growing suite of Indian-developed short- and medium-range ballistic missiles aimed at bolstering the country’s defensive and strategic posture in an increasingly volatile region. - August 21, 2025
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