Is nuclear weapons capable

India tests modern intercontinental ballistic missile

An Indian Agni-V missile in an archive photograph

(Bild: Associated Press)

India has tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the researchers of the Defense Development Department (DRDO) on Monday on the X platform (formerly Twitter) for the successful test. According to the report, it was an "Agni-V" missile developed in India.

According to the Indian news channel NDTV, this type of missile features MIRV technology (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle). This means that it can be equipped with several warheads that can be aimed at different targets.

It is the first successful test of a missile with this technology, according to the report. According to the report, only a few countries besides India have such missiles, including the USA, China, Russia, Great Britain and France.

India wants to do without nuclear weapons
The "Agni" ("fire" in the national language Hindi) missile series is one of India's most modern missile systems and has medium and long-range missiles. The South Asian country has been pushing ahead with its missile program for more than three decades, but has declared that it will not deploy nuclear weapons for the first time. The program is exclusively for defensive purposes and to deter rivals in the region, Pakistan and China.