JOIN USIndia Thursday successfully launched its long-range Agni-V ballistic missile.
Here are some salient features of the missile and the test, which propelled the country into a special league of nations:
* Agni-V is a 5,000-km intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM)
* Short of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) by 500 km
* 17.5 metres long, can carry 1- to 1.5-tonne conventional and nuclear war heads
* Can hit targets in large parts of China, including Beijing
* Can target whole of Pakistan and South Asia
* Three-stage propulsion system
* Solid fuel in the final stage propels it into space
* Greater accuracy due to better guidance and navigation systems
* Composite Rocket Motors and propulsion systems entirely indigenous
* Will form key component of India's strategic arsenal