India test-fires Agni-V ballistic missile days after China clash

India

oi-Deepika S

An
anti-ship
version
of
the
BrahMos
supersonic
cruise
missile
was
successfully
test-fired
jointly
by
the
Indian
Navy
and
the
Andaman
and
Nicobar
Command
in
April.

New
Delhi,
Dec
15:
India
on
Thursday
successfully
test
fired
nuclear-capable
Agni-V
ballistic
missile
having
a
range
of
over
5,000
km,
days
after
Chinese
aggression
at
Arunachal
Pradesh’s
Tawang
sector.

Existing
variant
Agni
IV
is
capable
of
hitting
targets
at
a
range
of
4,000
km
while
Agni-III
has
a
range
of
3,000-km,
and
Agni
II
can
fly
up
to
2,000-km.

The
Agni-V
missile
has
been
successfully
test-fired,
two
people
familiar
with
the
matter
said.
There
is,
however,
no
official
word
on
the
test-firing
of
the
missile.

The
test
firing
of
the
missile
is
part
of
the
process
for
its
induction
into
the
tri-services
strategic
forces
command.

The
people
said
the
test
validated
a
number
of
critical
aspects
of
the
weapon.
In
June,
India
successfully
carried
out
a
night
launch
of
the
nuclear-capable
Agni-4
ballistic
missile,
in
a
boost
to
India’s
military
capabilities.

India
has
been
steadily
enhancing
its
overall
military
might
in
the
last
couple
of
years.

It
has
carried
out
successful
tests
of
a
number
of
missiles
during
the
period.

In
May,
the
extended
range
version
of
the
BrahMos
supersonic
cruise
missile
was
test-fired
from
a
Sukhoi
fighter
jet.
It
was
the
first
launch
of
the
extended
range
version
of
the
BrahMos
missile
from
a
Su-30MKI
aircraft.

An
anti-ship
version
of
the
BrahMos
supersonic
cruise
missile
was
successfully
test-fired
jointly
by
the
Indian
Navy
and
the
Andaman
and
Nicobar
Command
in
April.

On
December
9,
Chinese
troops
tried
to
”unilaterally” change
the
status
quo
along
the
Line
of
Actual
Control
in
the
Yangtse
area
of
Arunachal
Pradesh’s
Tawang
sector
last
week
but
the
Indian
Army
compelled
them
to
retreat
by
its
”firm
and
resolute”
response,
Defence
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
said
in
Parliament
on
Tuesday.

Indian
and
Chinese
troops
were
engaged
in
a
brief
face-off
near
Yangtse
in
October
last
year
as
well
and
it
was
resolved
following
talks
between
local
commanders
of
the
two
sides
as
per
established
protocols.