Tension Rises Tensions Rise At China Border, India Tests The Agni-V Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile

India's Agni-V ballistic missile (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense India)

JAKARTA - India has tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of 5.000 kilometers (3.125 miles), from an island off its east coast amid rising border tensions with China.

Wednesday's successful launch is in line with India's policy of having a credible minimum of deterrence, which underpins a commitment to 'no first use', a government statement said.

"The Agni-V missile fell in the Bay of Bengal with a very high degree of accuracy," read a statement issued late Wednesday, citing Daily Sabah October 28.

Beijing's rapid missile development has prompted New Delhi to upgrade its weapons systems in recent years, with the Agni-V believed to be capable of reaching all of China.

Test launch of the Agni- ballistic missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense India)

India is known to have the ability to attack the entire territory of Pakistan, its neighbor and arch enemy which has fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Since the 1990s, India has been developing nuclear systems, as well as medium and long-range missiles in the midst of increasing strategic competition with China, as well as increasing the country's defense capabilities.

Tensions between India and China broke out last year over the long-disputed border area in the Ladakh Mountains area. India is also increasingly suspicious of Beijing's attempts to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean.

Talks between Indian and Chinese troop commanders eased tensions along the border for 17 months, sometimes leading to deadly clashes, ending in a stalemate earlier this month.