India is poised to field a new ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads up to 2,000 km away, with the Defense Ministry announcing on Thursday that the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had conducted a crucial pre-induction launch of the Agni Prime missile from the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast a day earlier.
It was the first night-time pre-induction launch of the Agni Prime and confirmed the weapon system’s “accuracy and reliability,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The latest test followed three successful daily trials to demonstrate the new weapon’s capabilities.
“The successful test paved the way for the introduction of the system into the armed forces,” the statement said. It is a canister missile that can be fired at short notice and has a range of between 1,000 km and 2,000 km.
The new missile comes with significant advances in technology including composites, propulsion system and guidance and control mechanisms, officials monitoring the project said. It will strengthen India’s credible deterrence, they added.
“All targets were successfully demonstrated during the flight test. Radar, telemetry and electro-optical tracking systems were deployed at various locations, including two lower range ships at the end point, to capture flight data covering the entire trajectory of the vehicle,” the statement said. Top officials of DRDO and Strategic Force Headquarters witnessed the flight test.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and the armed forces for the missile’s performance during the test, according to the notebook.
Other Agni missile variants developed by DRDO include the 700 km Pakistan-specific Agni-I, 2,000 km range Agni-II, 3,000 km range Agni-III, 4,000 km range Agni-IV and 5,000 km range. Agni-V range missile. Agni missiles form the backbone of India’s nuclear deterrent.
Agni Prime is ready for launch 25 years after the Pokhran-II tests in Rajasthan laid the foundation for achieving self-sufficiency in the nuclear weapons development program and confirmed India’s ability to produce more powerful weapons with higher yields.
India’s nuclear doctrine, promulgated in 2003, commits to “no first use” with weapons to be used only in retaliation for a nuclear attack on Indian territory or Indian forces. In a stance that reflects the capabilities India has built up over the years, the doctrine says nuclear first-strike retaliation will be massive and designed to cause unacceptable damage.
Retaliatory strikes can only be authorized by the civilian political leadership through the Office of Nuclear Command, which consists of a political council and an executive council. The Prime Minister chairs the Policy Council, while the National Security Advisor chairs the Executive Council.
India should focus on increasing the range, number, accuracy and yield of its nuclear weapons in view of the changes taking place in China and Pakistan in its decision-making, former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retired) said earlier. India has a fully functional nuclear triad of air, sea and land platforms.
China has 350 nuclear warheads in its stockpile, Pakistan 165 and India 160, according to the 2022 Yearbook on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security, published by the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).
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