Coming soon: Agni-V, the last in Agni series

FULLSTOP TIME: Agni-III has given momentum to the making of the Agni-V.

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Keywords: Missile Programme, Agni-iii

New Delhi: In two years' time, India will have a brand new missile which will add to its nuclear muscle. The Agni-V will extend India's nuclear strike range to 5,000 km, making its minimum credible deterrent bigger and perhaps better.

The recent success of the 3,500-km Agni-III has given momentum to the making of the Agni-V.

"We've started the design work on Agni-V. 5,000 km is what the country needs and that's what we're working on,” says Agni Programme Director, Avinash Chander.

But it's also clear that the Agni-V will be the last in the Agni series of missiles and will represent a virtual cap on India's missile programme.

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India will confine its missile reach to medium range rockets and will continue to be the world's most minimalist nuclear weapons power.

India's truncated posture conveys a signal that its missile power is aimed only at deterring threats from its immediate neighbourhood. For the establishment, minimal is credible.