"Capable of Striking All Across China"... India Successfully Tests 5,000km Range Missile Launch

The Indian military's long-range missile Agni-5 on display.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] India, which is in conflict with China over border issues, announced that it has successfully completed a test launch of a missile with a range of 5,000 km capable of striking all across China.

According to local media such as NDTV on the 28th (local time), the 'Agni-5', classified as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, was launched at 7:50 PM the previous day from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha state, eastern India.

The Indian Ministry of Defense stated in a press release that night, "The Agni-5 hit its target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high level of precision."

The Agni-5 is the latest version of the Agni series of ballistic missile systems developed indigenously by India since the 1980s. It has a range covering most of Asia including northern China such as Beijing, as well as parts of Africa and Europe.

The Indian military currently possesses missiles ranging from the Agni-1 with a range of 700 km to the Agni-4 with a range of approximately 3,500 to 4,000 km.

The Indian military has conducted several test launches of the Agni-5 since 2012, and this was the first nighttime test.

Local media reported that once the Agni-5 is fully deployed, the Indian military's "missile portfolio" will be complete.

NDTV explained that India's recent Agni-5 test launch sends a strong message to China, as conflicts between the two countries over the border continue.

India and China fought a war in 1962 over border issues but have not finalized the border line, instead facing each other along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In some areas, the location of the LAC claimed by each side differs, leading to disputes where each side accuses the other of invading its territory whenever conflicts arise.

Last year, the two countries clashed several times in the northern Indian Ladakh region, including the Pangong Lake brawl in May, the June Galwan Valley "stick clash" that killed 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers, and the use of firearms for the first time in 45 years in September.

Since then, both sides completed troop withdrawals near Pangong Lake in February, but tensions remain in other areas.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.