Agni - V Agni - V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO ) of India . It is part of the Agni series of missiles , one of the missile systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme . According to DRDO chief , the exact range of Agni V is " classified " but afterwards he described Agni V as a missile with a range of 5 , 500 – 5 , 800 km . Development . Senior defence scientist M . Natrajan disclosed in 2007 that DRDO was working on an upgraded version of the Agni III , known as the Agni - V ( Earlier known as Agni - III * and Agni - IV ) , and that it would be ready in 4 years . The missile was to have a range of more than . The Agni - V is expected to be operational by 2014 to 2015 after four to five repeatable tests by the DRDO . Indian authorities believe that the solid - fuelled Agni - V is more than adequate to meet current threat perceptions and security concerns . The missile will allow India to strike targets across Asia and into Europe . The missile was designed to be easy to transport by road through the utilization of a canister - launch missile system which is distinct from those of the earlier Agni missiles . Agni - V would also carry MIRV ( multiple independently targetable re - entry vehicles ) payloads being concurrently developed . A single MIRV equipped missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets . With a " launch mass " of around and a development cost of over , Agni - V will incorporate advanced technologies involving ring laser gyroscope and accelerometer for navigation and guidance . It takes its first stage from Agni - III , with a modified second stage and a miniaturised third stage to ensure it can fly to distances of . With a canister - launch system to impart higher road mobility , the missile will give the armed forces much greater operational flexibility than the earlier - generation of Agni missiles . According to a source , the accuracy levels of Agni - V and the Agni - IV ( first tested in November 2011 ) , with their better guidance and navigation systems , are far higher than Agni - I ( ) , Agni - II ( ) and Agni - III ( ) . According to the Project Director of Agni V , Tessy Thomas , the missile achieved single - digit accuracy in its second test . Testing . Preparation for testing . The Indian defence minister A . K . Antony , addressing the annual DRDO awards ceremony , asked defence scientists to demonstrate the missile ' s capability at the earliest opportunity . DRDO chief V . K . Saraswat told Times of India in mid - 2011 that DRDO had tested the three solid - propellant composite rocket motor stages of Agni - V independently and all ground tests had been completed . In September 2011 , Saraswat confirmed that the first test flight would be conducted in 2012 from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast . In February 2012 , a source revealed that DRDO was almost ready for the test , but there were scheduling and logistical issues since the missile was to traverse halfway across the Indian Ocean . Countries like Indonesia and Australia as well as international air and maritime traffic in the test zone had to be alerted 7 – 10 days before the test . Moreover , Indian Navy warships , with DRDO scientists and tracking and monitoring systems , were to be positioned midway and near the impact point in the southern Indian Ocean . First test launch . On 19 April 2012 at 08 . 05 am , the Agni V was successfully test - fired by DRDO from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa . The test launch was made from the Launch Complex 4 of the Integrated Test Range ( ITR ) at Wheeler Island using a rail mobile launcher . The flight time lasted 20 minutes and the third stage fired the re - entry vehicle into the atmosphere at an altitude of . The missile re - entry vehicle subsequently impacted the pre - designated target point more than away in the Indian Ocean . The director of the test range , S . P . Das , informed BBC that all test parameters were met . According to news reports the Agni - V was able to hit the target nearly at pin - point accuracy , within a few metres of the designated target point . Chinese experts say that the missile has the potential to reach targets 8000 km away and that the Indian government had deliberately downplayed the missile ' s capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries . The exact range of Agni - V is classified . Second test launch . On September 15 , 2013 India conducted a second test flight of Agni - V from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast . The missile was test - fired from a mobile launcher from Launch Complex 4 of the Integrated Test Range ( ITR ) at about 8 : 50 am . The flight duration was little over 20 minutes and hit the pre - designed target in the Indian Ocean with an accuracy of a few metres . Description . Propulsion . The Agni - V is a three stage solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the second and third stage . In many aspects , the Agni - 5 carries forward the Agni - 3 pedigree . With composites used extensively to reduce weight , and a third stage added on ( the Agni - 3 was a two - stage missile ) , the Agni - 5 can fly significantly more to inter - continental range . Total flight duration for the first flight test of Agni - V on 20 April 2012 was for 1130 seconds . The first stage ignited for 90 seconds . Mobility . " The Agni - 5 is specially tailored for road - mobility , " explained Avinash Chander , Director , ASL . " With the canister having been successfully developed , all India ' s future land - based strategic missiles will be canisterised as well . " The missile will utilise a canister and will be launched from it . Made of maraging steel , a canister must provide a hermetically sealed atmosphere that preserves the missile for years . During firing , the canister must absorb enormous stresses when a thrust of is generated to eject the missile . MIRVs . In future , Agni - V is expected to feature Multiple Independent Re - entry Vehicles ( MIRVs ) with each missile being capable of carrying 2 – 10 separate nuclear warheads . Each warhead can be assigned to a different target , separated by hundreds of kilometres ; alternatively , two or more warheads can be assigned to one target . MIRVs ensure a credible second strike capability even with few missiles . Reactions to testing . Domestic . In India , the success of the launch was received with much acclaim and widespread media coverage . Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated the DRDO by issuing a statement : " I congratulate all the scientific and technical personnel of the DRDO and other organisations who have worked tirelessly in our endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of our country . Today ' s successful Agni - V test launch represents another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science . The nation stands together in honouring the scientific community who have done the country proud . " Missile program director Avinash Chander commented that the launch signified " giant strides taken by India in its integrated missile development programme . " The Defence Minister A . K . Antony also congratulated the DRDO chief Dr . V . K . Saraswat and DRDO team including its Programme director Dr . Avinash Chander and said that " The immaculate success of the Agni - 5 is a major milestone in the country ' s missile research and development programme . " Kanwal Sibal , former foreign secretary of India wrote , " In reality , while self - restraint and attachment to peace do mark our policies , we choose soft options also because we are conscious of our weakness and lack of military preparedness . [ . . ] China , in any case , possesses missiles with even longer range . Earlier it was India that was vulnerable to Chinese missiles and now the reverse will be true , creating a better balance in deterrence . " See also . Related people