All is set to test fire the 5000 km range Agni-V Inter-continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) today from a test range off the coast of Odisha. It would be a major forward leap in missile technology and military deterrent capability of India. Only the US, Russia, France and China possess the capability to operate an ICBM so far and now India too joins the elite group.

DRDO plans to conduct more such tests of the missile over the next one year after studying and analyzing the parameters achieved in each subsequent trial. DRDO Chief V K Saraswat had recently said the missile is being integrated at various facilities for the test launch which will be witnessed by military officials and other agencies which participated in its development.

On the timeline fixed for fully developing Agni-5, Saraswat had said another one year of testing will be involved. In November last year, DRDO had successfully test fired the 3,500 km range Agni-4 missile giving muscle to India's deterrent capability against the military adversaries. DRDO has also placed necessary equipments to collect data on the trajectory and flight of the missile and other necessary data which will be studied further for its future development. Agni-5 will be a three-stage, all solid fuel powered, 17-metre tall missile with capability to carry various forms of payload, officials said.