India today successfully test-fired indigenously developed longest range surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V. The 5,000 km range missile was test-fired at 8.48 this morning from launch complex number 4 of Wheeler Island test facility of Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast.

This is the second experimental trial of Agni-V which has the ability to target all of Asia and parts of Europe. Only the UN security council permanent members- China, France, Russia, United States of America and Britain – have such long-range weapons. Agni-V is the most advanced long-range ballistic missile capable of being launched within minutes from a self-contained road mobile launcher.

In terms of technologies, it is country’s most advanced strategic missile and incorporates many new indigenously developed technologies. The missile which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonne is 17 metre long, two metre wide and weighs around 50 tonnes.

The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) is reported to have been working to equip the missile with Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) through which each missile can carry two to 10 separate nuclear warheads and strike at different places.

Agni-V was successfully test-fired on April 19 last year when the missile had travelled the desired distance in just 20 minutes. At least two more trials of Agni-V are expected by end of next year before the missile is inducted in the armed forces possibly in 2015.