India successfully test-fired the Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) Agni-4 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha, on Thursday. The missile, with a strike range of 4,000 km, has “successfully validated all operational and technical parameters,” according to the Defence Ministry.

The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) responsible for the country’s nuclear arsenal, conducted the launch test. This test follows the recent induction of India’s third nuclear-powered submarine, INS Aridhaman (S4).

The 20-meter-long Agni-4 missile, a symbol of India’s growing defence prowess, can carry a 1,000 kg payload and can be fired from a road-mobile launcher. The indigenously developed Agni-4 missile was previously known as Agni-2 Prime. In April of last year, India successfully tested the new-generation nuclear-capable Agni-Prime ballistic missile with a strike range of 1,000 to 2,000 km from the Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

The Agni series of missiles is a ballistic missile developed by India. It is a long-range, nuclear-weapon-capable, surface-to-surface missile. The successful launch of the Agni-4 builds on the achievements of its predecessors, including the Agni-1, Agni-2, and Agni-3. Each of these missiles has contributed to the country’s strategic defence capabilities.