Rapid Fire
Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni-III
- 07 Feb 2026
- 3 min read
Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile ‘Agni-III’ was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.
- The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.
- Agni III: Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Agni-Three is a two-stage, solid-fuelled ballistic missile with a strike range exceeding 3000 Kms.
- The missile is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
- It can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes, with an estimated yield of 200–300 kilotons.
- It is a surface-to-surface missile capable of deploying from rail and road mobile launchers, enhancing survivability and operational flexibility.
Agni Series
- The Agni missile series, conceptualised in the 1980s as a part of Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), forms the backbone of India’s credible nuclear deterrence.
- Beginning with a two-stage technology demonstrator tested in 1989, it evolved into Agni-I (700–1,250 km), Agni-II (2,000–2,500 km), and Agni-III (3,000–3,500 km) - all solid-fuel, mobile missiles inducted into the Indian Army.
- India later tested Agni-IV (3,000–4,000 km) in 2014, a two-stage Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with advanced indigenous systems, currently in field trials.
- The Agni-V is an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) -class missile (~5,000+ km) with canisterised, road-mobile launch.
- Agni-VI, now under development, is expected to be launched from land and submarines with a strike range of 8,000–10,000 km, significantly strengthening India’s second-strike capability.
- Agni Prime is a nuclear-capable new-generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles. It is a two-stage canister missile with a maximum range of 1,000 to 2,000 km. It is lighter than all the earlier Agni series of missiles.
| Read more: Agni-5 Missile |
