India successfully test-fires Agni-4 ballistic missile - why it matters

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday successfully test-fired the medium-range ballistic missile Agni-4 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha, a ministry of defence official said."The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. The test was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," the official said.The latest test follows another successful launch of the Agni-4 intermediate-range ballistic missile on September 6, 2024."The launch was successfully carried out from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha," a defence ministry official had said, adding that it successfully validated all operational and technical parameters.Earlier, on April 4, 2024, India successfully conducted the flight test of the new-generation Agni-Prime ballistic missile. The test was carried out jointly by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).The Agni series comprises long-range, nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missiles developed by India.More recently, on June 15 this year, the DRDO successfully tested the indigenously developed Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast."All the test objectives were fully met, as per the data captured by various tracking instruments deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur," said the R&D wing of the ministry of defence in a statement.According to the ministry, the missile met all mission objectives, validating key technologies and demonstrating India's expanding long-range precision strike capability.The launch was witnessed by senior DRDO officials and representatives of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. Defence secretary and secretary, department of defence (R&D), Rajesh Kumar Singh, who is also the DRDO Chairman, was among those who monitored the test.Following the successful LRLACM flight test, defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team and industry partners and praised everyone involved in the mission.