India test-fires Agni-Prime ballistic missile

The Agni-Prime – pictured above from its first test firing in June 2021 – is a surface-to-surface missile with a length of 10 m. It has a conical-shaped re-entry vehicle in comparison with the Agni II's blunt biconic re-entry vehicle. (DRDO via PIB)

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Strategic Forces Command (SFC) test-fired the Agni-Prime medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) on 3 April from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the northeastern coast of Odisha, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release on 4 April.

“The test met all the trial objectives, validating its reliable performance, as confirmed from the data captured by a number of range sensors deployed at different locations, including two downrange ships placed at the terminal point,” the MoD added.

Rajnath Singh, India's defence minister, said in the press release that the “successful development and induction of the missile will be an excellent force multiplier for the [Indian] Armed Forces”.

The firing was a part of the user or pre-induction test of the missile. This is the second user trial of the missile, with the first happening in June 2023.

The DRDO first tested the missile in June 2021 as a part of developmental trials followed by a second test in December 2021.

The organisation announced the completion of the missile's development with its third test in October 2022.

The nuclear-capable Agni-Prime is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant MRBM with a dual redundant navigation and guidance system, the DRDO said at the time.