India tests long-range missile from mobile launcher

India on Saturday succeeded for the first time in using a mobile launcher to test-fire a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead deep inside rival China. Although Saturday’s launch was the third test of the Agni V missile, it was the first time the weapon had been fired from a so-called canister mounted on a truck rather than from a concrete launchpad used in previous trials. The new delivery mechanism gives the armed forces increased operational flexibility. Analysts say the Agni V has the range to strike any target on the Chinese mainland, including military installations in the far northeast.

Successful test-firing of Agni V from a canister makes the missile a prized asset for our forces.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message on Twitter after the test

India sees the rocket as a key boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows – albeit slightly – the huge gap with China’s missile systems. Agni, meaning “fire” in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets India developed as part of a guided missile development project launched in 1983. While the shorter-range Agni I and II were mainly developed with traditional rival Pakistan in mind, analysts say later versions with a longer range reflect the shift in India’s focus towards China. India and China, each with a population of more than one billion, have prickly relations and a legacy of mistrust that stems from a brief but bloody border war in 1962.

Asia-Pacific Agni V