India test-fires ballistic missile ahead of US tariff hike
Images posted online that are said to show India's nuclear-capable Agni-5 missile being tested on Aug 20.
NEW DELHI - India on Aug 20 test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, a government statement said, in an apparent show of strength ahead of a threatened US tariff increase.
The Agni-5 missile was successfully launched in India's eastern Odisha state, with authorities saying it 'validated all operational and technical parameters.'
The test-fire came a week before US tariffs are
set to double from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, unless India meets President Donald Trump's demand that it
stop buying Russian oil.
India last tested the Agni-5 missile in March 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this month that, in the face of US tariffs, India was seeking self-reliance with energy independence and the development of its own defence systems.
New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in
the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia as an apparent counter to rival China.
But India's relations with China
have warmed recently with several bilateral visits, and Mr Modi is scheduled to visit Tianjin later this month in his first visit to the country since 2018.
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Agni, meaning 'fire' in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets India developed as part of a guided missile development project launched in 1983.
The Agni-5 employs technology that enables it to carry several nuclear warheads, so they can split up and hit different targets. AFP
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