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The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully carried out a routine training launch of the Agni-IV intermediate-range ballistic missile on 6 August 2026. The launch took place from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the launch validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile system. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described it as a "textbook mission" that reaffirmed India's strategic deterrence capability.

About the Agni-IV Missile

  • Missile Class: Agni-IV is a two-stage, solid-fuelled Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • Strike Range: It has a strike range of approximately 4,000 km, placing it among the longer-range missiles in India's Agni series.
  • Payload: The missile is nuclear-capable and can also carry conventional and thermobaric payloads, forming part of India's land-based strategic deterrent.
  • Operational Custodian: Once inducted, Agni-IV missiles are operated by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the tri-services command responsible for India's nuclear arsenal under the Nuclear Command Authority.

Source: Press Information Bureau