Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the Indian Army, DRDO, and the industry on this remarkable achievement. He described the success as a significant boost to India’s air defence capabilities, particularly for meeting high-altitude operational requirements.Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated the teams associated with the successful test and stated that the missile has met the country’s critical air defence requirements for high-altitude.Earlier, as reported, in April 2024, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), conducted the successful flight-test of the new generation ballistic missile Agni-Prime from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.SFC is for command and control and employment of India’s nuclear assets under the triad (Army, Navy and Air Force).Agni Prime is a two-stage canisterized solid propellant nuclear-capable ballistic missile equipped with a dual redundant navigation and guidance system. The canister mode assembly of the missiles facilitates rapid deployment, storage and mobility. The missile has a range capability of 1,000-2,000 km and represents an advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.The test flights are significant steps towards the operationalisation of the new weapons system.The Agni series of missiles are part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Project (IGMDP) initiated by the MoD in 1982. Over time, the Agni series has undergone further development to achieve extended ranges and improved mobility.The series includes Agni-1 (with a range of 700 km), Agni-2 (with a range of 2,000 km), Agni-3 (with a range of 2,500 km), Agni-4 (with a range of 3,500 km), and Agni-5, which can strike targets up to 5,000 km away.
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