Above: Agni V missile (file picture)/Photo: DRDO

India on Thursday (January 18) morning successfully test-fired the Agni V long-range ICBM, launched from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, say news reports.

The 17m tall (with a diameter of 2m) missile, weighing which can carry a 1.5 tonne nuclear warhead, is India’s most advanced ICBM with a touted range of over 5,000km. This means that the missile can hit almost all of China and Europe.

The super fast and sophisticated missile travelled for 19 minutes and covered 4,900km.

The defence ministry has called it a “major boost” to the nation’s defence capabilities. “We have successfully launched nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V today,” defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

—India Legal Bureau