By A Correspondent

New Delhi: India has successfully carried out an advanced nuclear-capable Agni missile test with multiple warheads, acquiring a key strike capability against nuclear-armed arch rivals China and Pakistan.

The flight trial, with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) systems, was carried out from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on the eastern seaboard on May 8, 2026.

“The missile was flight-tested with multiple payloads, targeted to different targets spatially distributed over a large geographical area in the Indian Ocean Region,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on May 9.

The test’s telemetry and tracking were carried out by multiple ground and ship-based stations. These systems tracked the entire missile trajectory from lift-off to the impact of all payloads.

“The flight data confirmed that all mission objectives were met during the trial,” the statement said.

With this successful trial, India once again demonstrated the capability to target multiple strategic targets using a single missile system.

The Agni missile is developed by the laboratories of the Indian defence technology agency, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with support from industries across the nation.

Senior DRDO officials and the Indian Army officers witnessed the trial. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, the Indian Army, and the industry for the successful flight test.

“This will add an incredible capability to the country’s defence preparedness against the growing threat perceptions,” Rajnath Singh said.

The advanced Agni missile test came just weeks after Pakistan tested the Taimur anti-ship missile with a 600-km range on April 21.

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