India successfully test fires Agni-V nuclear-capable missile

India has successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-V Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of 5500-km from the APJ Abdul Kalam coast on Odisha on Thursday evening. 

“India has successfully carried out night trials of the Agni V nuclear-capable ballistic missile today,” said the Ministry of Defence. The Defence Ministry has confirmed that the test was carried out to validate new technologies and equipment on the missile which is now lighter than before. According to reports, this trial has proven the missile’s capability to be enhanced if required. 

India notified a no-fly zone, indicative of a missile test, last month. The notice, meant to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards, suggested that the test-fire could take place on 15 or 16 December.

The long-range test missile was tested amid increasing border tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district, erupting in injuries for soldiers of both parties on December 9.