Officially Agni is termed as re-entry demonstrator but for all purposes it can be considered an intermediate range ballistic system. With the flawless flight of Agni – III, a powerful weapon is practically ready to enter India’s strategic arsenal.

While Agni – I can reach places 700 km away and Agni – II can takes it warhead some 2500 km but all solid, two stage Agni – III missile has a range of over 3500 km. Thus, this new missile will give the country’s strategic forces the ability to strike will beyond the immediate neighborhood.

Moreover, adding a small third stage to the Agni – III configuration would produce a missile with a range to 5000 km or more. It is noteworthy that Agni – III and its future variants with a diameter of two meters will be the first Indian missiles having the potential to be equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles. A single missile with Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles can carry several nuclear warheads, each of which can target a different place.

Across the border, Pakistan has been a repeatedly testing Saheen – II missile with the longest range that can strike much of India. China is in the continues process of modernising it’s and switching from liquid fuelled ballistic missiles to solid propellant one. Therefore the success of Agni – III missile would be a great reply to India’s rival neighbourhood countries. With the success of Agni – III would be able to hit China’s for interior in case of war.

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However, the development of Agni missile programmes and its success represents a quantum leap in India’s strategic capability. Only five other countries US, Russia, France China and Israel have Intermediate range ballistic missile technology and Agni system is a cornerstone of integrated Guided Missile Programme of India. It has put India’s credible minimum deterrence on firm footing. The Agni and its variants with proven re-entry technology and monoeuvarablity had added punch to India’s second strike capability which is key pillar of its no first use policy. Agni is also seen as political missile by the west and has been interpreted as an attempt by India to move into ranks of world military powers.

There is intense high technology work going on at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and the advanced systems laboratory located on DRDO campus. The scientists at the Advanced System Laboratory are furiously working on Agni – V, which will have a range of 5000 km. Its design has been completed and development work is underway. The Advanced Systems Laboratory is also working on Agni – IIIA missile which will be an advanced version of Agni – II with a range of more than 2500 km.