India tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Wednesday that is capable of reaching the territories of its main adversaries—China and Pakistan—according to a Newsweek analysis.
China‘s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. Newsweek has also reached out to Pakistan‘s Foreign Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Instagram/India’s Ministry of Defense
India is one of nine countries armed with nuclear weapons, with an estimated arsenal of 180 warheads. Its two nuclear-armed neighbors, China and Pakistan, possess 600 and 170 warheads, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The unarmed launch test comes as tensions between India and Pakistan remain high after the nuclear rivals fought a large-scale conventional conflict in early May. India also has border disputes with China, where officials from both sides met in New Delhi for talks on Tuesday.
It is not uncommon for nuclear-armed states to test their forces. Both Russia and the United States—which have the world’s largest and second-largest arsenals—have regularly test-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles. China conducted a similar test last September.
What To Know
In a short statement, India‘s Defense Ministry announced that an Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile was launched from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha on the country’s east coast. The test validated all the missile’s operational and technical parameters, it said.
Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence analyst on the social media platform X, said India had declared three no-fly zones across the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indian Ocean prior to the launch, suggesting the missile flew southward with a tested range of 2,975 miles.
Based on the tested range, Pakistan and almost all of China’s territory were within range of the Agni-5 missile, which can reach as far east as Japan, as far north as southern Russia, as far west as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and as far south as the waters northwest of Australia, according to Newsweek‘s map.
While the Indian military has yet to reveal the exact reach of the missile, intermediate-range missiles typically range from 1,860-3,410 miles, according to the Arms Control Association.
The Federation of American Scientists classifies the Agni-5 missile as a “near-intercontinental ballistic missile” with a potential maximum range of 3,728 miles.
In March 2024, India said an Agni-5 missile incorporating multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology was successfully tested, allowing it to be equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Experts estimated the number likely was no more than three.
What People Are Saying
India’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday: “[The Agni-5 missile test] was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.”
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in a report in June: “India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery system.”
The Federation of American Scientists said in a report on Indian nuclear weapons in September 2024: “The [Agni-5] is carried in a sealed canister on the launcher, meaning the warhead can be permanently mated with the missile, which is stored in a sealed, climate-controlled tube, instead of having to be installed prior to launch.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether China and Pakistan will follow their mutual nuclear rival in conducting tests of nuclear forces. China may reveal new nuclear weapon systems in the highly anticipated military parade scheduled for September 3.