The Agni-V’s development and recent test firings mark a significant leap in India’s military prowess, particularly in the realm of nuclear deterrence.
Blasting high atop the clouds, India’s Agni-V nuclear-capable missile is a sky monster—and is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of India’s strategic defense arsenal. Developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), this nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) boasts a strike range exceeding 3,000 miles, enabling it to target distant adversaries with precision.
As part of India’s Agni series of ballistic missiles, the Agni-V is designed to carry a payload of up to 1.5 tons, including nuclear warheads, making it an essential part of the country’s nuclear deterrence strategy.
With its solid-fueled, three-stage design and canister-launch capability, the Agni-V offers operational flexibility, allowing for rapid deployment via road or rail and long-term storage in a ready-to-fire state.
About India’s Agni Initiative
India’s pursuit of advanced missile systems, like the Agni-V, underscores its commitment to self-reliance in defense, aligning with the “Make in India” initiative. This ICBM not only enhances India’s military capabilities but also positions the nation among a select group of countries possessing long-range nuclear delivery systems, including the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
After a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was distributed by the Indian government, on August 20, 2025, India’s powerful Agni-V missile arched into the sky demonstrating that the Indian military had reached another milestone in its missile program with the successful test-firing of the Agni-V ICBM from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.
Conducted under the auspices of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), this launch was described as a routine training trial to validate the missile’s operational and technical parameters. The test reaffirmed the reliability of the already-inducted Agni-V, which features a hermetically sealed canister for protection and mobility.
This follows the groundbreaking “Mission Divyastra” test on March 11, 2024, where the Agni-V was equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. MIRV allows a single missile to deploy three to four nuclear warheads, each capable of striking separate targets hundreds of miles apart. While the 2025 test focused on standard configurations, it builds on these innovations, ensuring the system’s readiness for real-world scenarios.
The successful firing, monitoring through advanced tracking systems, demonstrated flawless performance across all stages, from ignition to re-entry.
Such tests are crucial for maintaining the missile’s credibility, especially amid evolving geopolitical tensions. The Agni-V’s canister-launch system, tested repeatedly, provides strategic advantages by enabling surprise launches and reducing vulnerability to preemptive strikes.
The Agni-V Represents a Quantum Leap in Indian Capabilities
The Agni-V’s development and recent test firings mark a significant leap in India’s military prowess, particularly in the realm of nuclear deterrence. With a range that covers the entire Asian continent, including the northernmost regions of China, the missile addresses long-standing strategic asymmetries.
China, India’s primary regional rival, possesses advanced ICBMs like the Dong Feng-5 and DF-41, with ranges of over 7,000 miles. Beijing is also rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal—from around 600 warheads at present to an estimated 1,500 by 2035. In contrast, India maintains approximately 180 warheads. Moreover, unlike its neighbor and longtime enemy Pakistan, India has emphasized a nuclear “no first use” policy focused on credible minimum deterrence.
Agni-V bolsters India’s nuclear triad—land, air, and sea-based delivery systems—ensuring survivability and second-strike capability. The land-based leg, managed by the SFC since 2003, includes shorter-range missiles like Agni-1, Agni-2, and Agni-3, but the Agni-V extends this reach dramatically. On the naval front, submarines like INS Arihant, INS Arighaat, and the newly commissioned INS Aridhaman carry submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), complementing the Agni-V’s role.
The introduction of MIRV technology, though still under development, multiples the missile’s effectiveness by overwhelming enemy missile defenses. This capability is particularly important against sophisticated anti-ballistic systems, enhancing India’s ability to penetrate defenses and delivery retaliatory strikes.
Furthermore, the Agni-V’s indigenous development reduces dependency on foreign technology, fostering technological spin-offs in areas like propulsion, guidance, and materials science.
But Is the Agni Missile Really Just About China and Pakistan?
In a broader context, the Agni-V strengthens India’s position in global arms control discussions and deters potential aggressors. Amid rising tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and ongoing concerns with neighboring Pakistan—which has around 170 warheads—this ICBM provides a psychological and strategic edge. It aligns with India’s doctrine of maintaining peace through strength, as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has emphasized modernizing the armed forces of India in response to external threats.
At the same time, however, it is important to remember that during the four-day India-Pakistan war in May, the reason that the Trump administration intervened to stop the conflict after Trump explicitly said he wouldn’t get involved was born out of the fact that India ran up the nuclear escalation ladder after their conventional forces struggled in combat against Pakistan.
By creating more robust nuclear weapons, like the Agni-V, the Indians may be enhancing their deterrence. But if they are not going to work on bettering their conventional forces, the existence of the Agni-V might create a real imbalance. When India next finds itself in a shooting war with Pakistan, if its conventional forces underperform, but its nuclear capabilities are more advanced, this fact might tempt Indian leaders to reach for the nukes.
Parallel advancements, such as the Agni-Prime Missile indicate a phased upgrade of India’s arsenal, gradually replacing older systems with more accurate and mobile ones. The 2025 test, coming amid discussions on US tariffs and international trade pressures, also signals India’s resolve to prioritize national security—and greater insulation from the whims of American leaders.
In fact, even more than deterring China or Pakistan, in the wake of the near-total breakdown (in record time, too) of Indo-American relations, the Agni-V’s launch and development could send as strong a message to Washington as to Beijing and Islamabad.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / PradeepGaurs.
