Agni 5 Successfully Test-Fired From Odisha; Core Of India’s Nuclear Deterrence [Watch]

Bhubaneswar: India’s Strategic Forces Command on Wednesday successfully test-fired the Agni 5 ballistic missile, a nuclear-delivery weapon with a range of over 5000 km, from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.
.
“The launch validated all operational and technical parameters,” the Ministry of Defence said, adding that the successful test reaffirms India’s commitment to maintaining a “credible minimum deterrence posture.”

Agni-5 has a terminal speed of Mach 24 (about 29,400 km/h), making it one of the fastest missiles in the world. It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology and can carry multiple nuclear warheads, each capable of striking a different target, thereby greatly enhancing its strategic effectiveness.

When the sky on eastern coast of India was lit.

Agni 5. Intermediate range Ballistic Missile. Ascent stage. At high altitude. pic.twitter.com/j8ulIByvuV

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) August 20, 2025

A ring laser gyroscope based inertial navigation system (RLG-INS) is primarily responsible for guiding the Agni 5 to its target, which is further supported by satellite navigation systems such as India’s NavIC and the US GPS.

The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile forms the core of India’s nuclear deterrence.