India’s Agni Missile Systems: Strengthening India’s Nuclear Deterrence

Over the years, India has been able to acquire a credible minimum nuclear deterrence. In this, the Agni missile system is integral to India‟s counter second-strike capability especially against China. The Agni category missiles are solid propelled ballistic missiles, ranging from short range missiles to intermediate range missiles (700-5000kms) with road and rail mobility providing greater chances of survivability during an enemy attack. This strengthens its scope of launching a counter/second strike. This makes India one of the few countries in the world with the ability to potentially decapitate its enemy by preserving its arsenal in the first attack from the enemy. This article provides a deep analysis of India‟s Agni missile systems