While Pakistan and the statements of its leaders might be all smoke and no fire, India chooses to act rather than engage in trash talk. Days after Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir issued a nuclear threat to half of the world from the US soil, India has tested its nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni 5.

Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni 5 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha on Wednesday (August 20). Agni 5 missile launch validated all operational and technical parameters and conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agni 5 test-firing marks a major advancement in the nation’s strategic defence capabilities. It is a nuclear-capable and is the most advanced missile in the Agni series.

India successfully test-fires Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni-5 from ITR Chandipur, Odisha on 20 Aug 2025. All operational & technical parameters validated. Launch conducted under the aegis of Strategic Forces Command.

Read here: https://t.co/K83tUAAaXy@rajnathsingh…

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) August 20, 2025

Agni 5 test-firing a response to Munir’s recent nuke threat?

A few days back, Pak Army Chief Munir threatened a nuclear attack so big that it could wipe out half of the world. “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” Munir said from the American soil, in a first nuclear threat known to have ever been delivered from US soil against a third country.

He warned of taking take down “half the world” if Pakistan is faced with an existential threat in a future war with India.

While the MEA had already given a stern reply to Munir’s statement saying, “Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade.” India asserted that the international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.

Now, India has successfully test-fired nuclear capable Agni 5 ballistic missile, which could be viewed as the much-needed signal that Pakistan deserved.

What makes Agni 5 missile a formidable force?

Having a range of over 5,000 kilometres, Agni 5 is the most advanced missile in the Agni series, forming the backbone of India’s land-based nuclear deterrent. Nuclear capable Agni 5 is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of up to 1.5 tonnes and is built with lightweight composite materials.

Reports indicate India has just carried out a test launch of the AGNI-5 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, using NOTAM data, here is a map outlining the missile’s 4,790 km tested range https://t.co/AhcIOwVVl7 pic.twitter.com/MnIJqpdqWD

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) August 20, 2025

Further, the ballistic missile features Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, using which a single missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets. Agni 5 uses a ring laser gyroscope-based inertial navigation system (RLG-INS) and a micro-inertial navigation system (MINGS) for enhanced accuracy.