The head of the defence research agency also said that sea trials of the indigenously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant would begin in the next "one or two months" and the under-water missile BO-5 would be fired from it during that process.

India is working on a "canisterised version" of Agni-V and the inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km would be ready for induction by next year, a top scientist said Defence Research Development Orgainsation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander.

The Agni-5 is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. It is part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The Agni-V is expected to be operational by 2014 to 2015 after four to five repeatable tests by the DRDO

The Indian-made missile Agni-V is able to strike a target a range of more than 5,000 km. The missile has a lenght of 17 m. and 2 m. wide with a launch weight of around 50 tonnes.

Unlike other missiles of indigenously built Agni series, the latest one ‘AGNI-V’ is the most advanced version having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.

On 19 April 2012 at 08.05 am, the Agni V was successfully test-fired by DRDO from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa. The flight time lasted 20 minutes and the third stage fired the re-entry vehicle into the atmosphere at an altitude of 100 km.