India’s Test Of K-4 SLBM From Pontoon Successful.

India successfully tested its most ambitious weapon system - a long-range ballistic nuclear missile, codenamed K-4, which can strike targets up to 3,500 kilometres away. The missile test is being seen as a huge step forward for country's nuclear weapons programme. The K-4, a derivative of the famous Agni ballistic nuclear missiles which are already in service, will be the most potent part of India's nuclear deterrent.

A representative image of an SLBM launch (Picture source: DRDO)

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out a test of a 3,500-km range K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a fixed underwater pontoon on Sunday afternoon.

India is expected to carry out more tests of the missile before it is ready for being equipped on the nuclear submarines. At the moment, only the first nuclear boat INS Arihant is operational for the Navy.

Only six worldwide countries have the capability to fire a nuclear missile from land, air and undersea. United States, Russia, China, France and the UK.

DRDO sources say that the research agency is already working on a much longer range missile, the K-5, which can hit targets 5,000 km away, reports The Print.

The K-4 is meant for the indigenous Arihant-class submarines, that are already armed with K-15 Sagarika missiles having a range of 750km. The K-4 nuclear missile is about 12m long with a diameter of 1.3m. It weighs around 17 tonnes and is capable of delivering a 2-tonne warhead up to a distance of over 3,500 km. The missile is powered by solid rocket propellant.