India’s stated policy is to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ with the commitment to ‘No First Use'

India on Wednesday carried out a successful launch of the Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile Agni-5, a new generation nuclear capable missile that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometers.

The launch was carried out at approximately 1950 hrs from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, said a statement of the Ministry of Defence.

The missile, which uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy.

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 defence ministry said.

Earlier, on June 28 this year, India had carried out test firing of a new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni P (Prime) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, Balasore.

The test-fired Agni P was a new generation advanced variant of Agni class of missiles.

It is a canisterised missile with range capability between 1,000 and 2,000-km.
The ballistic missile weighs 50 percent less than Agni III and has new guidance and a new generation of propulsion.

Since the missile is canisterised, it can be launched from rail and road and stored for a longer period and transported all across the country as per operational requirements.

The missile, which has a range between 1000km to 2000km, can be used to target enemy armadas in the Indo-Pacific.

On June 25, the DRDO successfully test fired extended range version of indigenously developed Pinaka rocket from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
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