Indigenous long-range missile Agni-V test fired successfully; Admiral Gorshkov to be commissioned in the Indian Navy on December 4, 2012
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    • (April 16-22, 2012)

    In a significant development, reports noted that India has successfully tested an indigenous long-range missile that can carry a nuclear warhead and brings within striking distance targets as far as Shanghai, invoking pride within the country while rattling the state-controlled Chinese media. Literally meaning fire, Agni-V, the surface-to-surface missile launched from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast at 8:07 am on April 19, 2012 propelled India into the small group of nations that possess intercontinental ballistic missiles. Agni-V is expected to significantly add to India's firepower and enhance its deterrent capability because none of its earlier missiles has the range to cover China. The 17.5 metre-tall and two metre-wide missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne, rose to a height of 600 km before hitting its target more than 5,000 km away in the Indian ocean, reports said. "We had a successful launch of Agni-V," said VK Saraswat, chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which developed the missile. "This launch has given a message to the entire world that India has the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class, and we are today a missile power." The DRDO will conduct two more validation tests before starting the production of this missile, Saraswat added. 1

    In another development, according to reports, the much-awaited Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will be commissioned in the Indian Navy on December 4, 2012 this year, and certain trials that needed to be done will now be completed post the induction of the aircraft carrier in the force. “The ship will be commissioned on December 4, when the Indian crew will take over the warship in Russia,” Indian Navy’s Chief of Material Vice Admiral Ganesh Madhavan said on Friday. With the commissioning of the floating deck carrier, that will have MiG-29 K fighter jets operating from its deck, the Indian Navy will become a two aircraft carrier Navy. 2

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