India’s foremost Agni 5 ballistic missile was tested for the first time by the user agency, the Strategic Forces Command, on Wednesday evening. Agni-5, which broadly falls into the category of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile or ICBM, was launched from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha, at 7:50 pm.
The surface-to-surface ballistic missile can accurately strike targets up to 5,000 km away, in what is being seen as a strong message to China.
Let’s dive into the importance of Agni-V and the difference between ICBM and China’s Hypersonic Missile:
INDIA’s AGNI-V MISSILE: Agni-V missile is a nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile or ICBM developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile has been referred to as ICBM because an official ICBM needs a missile to have a range of at least 5,500 km, the Agni 5 is India’s closest contender for an ICBM, as it has a maximum range of about 5,000 km. Several reports even suggested that it can hit the target at a distance of 8,000 km.
The DRDO’s official site, after the successful launch of Agni-V, informed that 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 Indian scientists have conducted Agni missile launch seven times and the first test of Agni was conducted in 2012. The last and seventh test was conducted on 10 December 2018. At present, apart from the Agni-V, other Agni missiles that India has in its armoury are - Agni-I with a 700-km range, Agni-II with a 2,000-km range, Agni-III and Agni-IV with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 km range.
Also Read: China denies testing hypersonic missile, says it was ‘routine spacecraft check’
CHINA’s HYPERSONIC GLIDE MISSILE: As per the report by The Finance Express, China tested a new hypersonic missile in August. The missile has a nuclear capacity, which circled the earth before moving towards its target, missing it by two dozen miles. The tested vehicle can carry nuclear payloads.
While China denied the report claiming it to be a “spacecraft” and not a missile, it demonstrated the capability in hypersonic glide vehicle technology, which raises strategic concerns not just for its neighbours like India, but even its rivals like the US.
According to the Rand Corporation’s report, published in 2017, “Hypersonic missiles—including both hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles—are a new class of threat because they are capable both of maneuvering and of flying faster than 5,000 kilometers per hour, more than five times faster than traditional cruise missiles. These features allow such missiles to penetrate most missile defenses and compress the timelines for a response by a nation under attack.”