India on 20 August successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in the eastern state of Odisha. The mission was carried out under the Strategic Forces Command, the operational arm of the country’s nuclear arsenal. The Ministry of Defence said the flight “validated all operational and technical parameters.” Agni-5 is a road-mobile, three-stage missile designed to deliver a payload beyond 5,000 kilometres at speeds of up to Mach 24, placing most of Asia, including all of China, within reach and cementing its role as the keystone of India’s strategic deterrent. Developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Agni-5 was first test-launched with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle technology in March 2024, enabling it to carry and release several warheads. The latest trial follows a series of shorter-range missile tests this year and underscores New Delhi’s effort to strengthen its position amid persistent security frictions with China and Pakistan.