Meet Agni-Prime, India’s latest Agni missile striking fear in China and Pakistan, it has range of…, is capable of…

Agni-Prime Missile: India(BHARAT) has successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-Prime missile with a range of 2,000 km, however, efforts are underway to make the missile achieve a range of over 8,000 km with a full payload, a development that has sounded alarm bells in rival nations, particularly Pakistan and China.

Is India(BHARAT) developing a 8,000 km ICBM?

A report by Hong Kong-based Asia Times, citing Chinese sources, said Beijing has received credible intel that India(BHARAT) is developing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of over 8,000 km. The ICBM has been described as an advanced variant of India(BHARAT)’s Agni-V intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), raising concerns in China over regional power dynamics.

As per the report, India(BHARAT)’s ICBM, which is seemingly the recently-tested Agni-Prime missile, is a response to China’s hypersonic DF-41 ICBM, and aims to achieve a range of 8,000 kilometers with a full payload, which is significantly greater than 5,000 km range of the Agni-V missile.

Why China fears India(BHARAT)’s missile capabilities?

Notably, Beijing has often claimed that New Delhi systematically understates its missile capabilities to avoid international scrutiny, but the new missile has reinvigorated China’s claims about India(BHARAT)’s missile prowess.

Chinese experts and state-run media has often accused India(BHARAT) of understating its its missile capabilities since the launch of Agni-5 in 2012, however, New Delhi has repeatedly denied the claims, insisting that Agni-V complies with credible minimum deterrence and is not designed to target any specific country.

What is China’s concern?

According to the Asia Times report, Chinese sources believe the Agni-Prime ICBM will be equipped with ring-laser gyro navigation and solid-fuel boosters, giving it a range of 8,000 km with a standard 1,500 kg payload, sufficient for thermonuclear warheads. Experts, citing ballistic models, say the missile can strike most parts of China with a full payload, while lighter onfigurations (500-1,000 kg MIRVs) could reach Guangzhou or even Tokyo.

The report noted that China is likely to have 1,000 nuclear warheads in its stockpile by 2030, while India(BHARAT)’s arsenal is expected to reach about 200 warheads, adding that India(BHARAT)’s emphasis on ICBMs could lead to countermeasures such as the HQ-19 BMD expansion or the DF-27 hypersonic deployment.

India(BHARAT) test fires Agni-Prime missile

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday revealed that India(BHARAT) has successfully test-fired the Agni-Prime missile with a range of 2,000 km from a rail-based mobile launcher system, demonstrating its capability to deploy the missile across the country.

In a statement, the ministry said the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), carried out the “successful” launch of intermediate range Agni-Prime missile under a full operational scenario on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, the Agni-Prime missile is equipped with all independent launch capability features, including the state-of-the-art communication systems and protection mechanisms.