By Zachary Keck
While international attention has focused on North Korea’s failed missile test last week, India has taken a shot at ascending to the exclusive club of countries possessing the necessary technology for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capabilities.
On Thursday, India launched the nuclear-capable Agni-V on its maiden flight from Wheeler Island off the Odisha Coast. The test was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. local time on Wednesday, but was delayed due to heavy lightning.
The Agni-V is a three-stage, solid-fuel missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers. Agni-V is technically an intermediate ballistic missile because ICBM’s have ranges greater than 5,500 kilometers, but it still demonstrates that New Delhi has cleared all the significant technological hurdles on the pathway to an ICBM.
Read the full story at The Diplomat