India tests ballistic missile ahead of US tariff increase

(Patria) - India on Wednesday tested a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, a government statement said, in an apparent show of force ahead of a threatened increase in US tariffs, AFP reported.

The Agni-5 missile was successfully launched from the eastern Indian state of Odisha, with authorities stating that "all operational and technical parameters were confirmed."

The test firing came a week before US tariffs are set to double from 25 percent to 50 percent, unless India meets President Donald Trump's demand to stop buying Russian oil.

India last tested the Agni-5 missile in March 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this month that, faced with US tariffs, India is seeking self-reliance through energy independence and the development of its own defence systems.

New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years,
including the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia as an apparent
counterbalance to rival China.

But India's relations with China have recently improved following several bilateral visits, and Modi is expected to visit Tianjin later this month, his first visit to the country since 2018.

Agni, meaning "fire" in Sanskrit, is the name of a series of missiles developed by India as part of a guided missile development project launched in 1983.

The Agni-5 uses technology that allows it to carry several nuclear warheads, which can separate and hit different targets.