Agni-IV: Why the 4,000km nuclear-capable missile is essential for India

The test of the Agni-IV ballistic missile by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) has demonstrated the country's readiness to respond to any contingency. The test demonstrated the successful firing of the Agni-IV intermediate‑range ballistic missile, which is a road‑mobile and nuclear‑capable weapon. The road mobility means that the missile can travel freely across the country and would therefore be difficult to target. This is in contrast to ballistic weapons that are fired from missile silos, which can be easily monitored or targeted by an adversary during a conflict. This is the tenth test of this missile and the sixth by the SFC.The Strategic Forces Command, commanded by a lieutenant general-ranked officer, or an air force or navy equivalent, is the operational part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is tasked with managing the country’s nuclear arsenal.