Weekend test for Agni V, nuclear missile that can hit Beijing and beyond

New Delhi: If the weather cooperates this weekend, India will test-launch a new ballistic missile, Agni-V,  which can carry a nuclear warhead not just to Beijing and Shanghai but even the Northern-most tip of China - Habin City. (Analysis: What Agni-V means for India)

The test of the Agni-V missile is seen as a major step in India's efforts to become a regional power that can counter the dominance of China.

The Agni-V is a three-stage missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton warhead with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), allowing it the furthest reach among all Indian missiles. (Missiles of the world: a look at countries' nuclear arsenals)

It will be test-launched most likely on Sunday from Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast, for the second time in two years.

The Agni-III is India's current longest-range missile and can cover a distance of 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles).

Agni-V is about 17 meters long and weighs 50 tons.

The first test of the Agni-V missile was conducted in April 2012 when guidance systems - critical in determining the efficiency of missile - worked perfectly.

The development of Agni-V began in 1983. Sources say that a few more tests will be required before the missile is ready for induction and deployment, most likely in 2017.

Agni-V gives India the ability to launch nuclear weapons from strategic bombers and submarines. It will give India the ability hit back or have second-strike capability even after a nuclear attack.

The Su-30 MKi and the French-made Mirrage 2000 aircraft are capable of delivering nuclear missiles from the air. The INS Arihant, an indigenously-made nuclear-powered submarine is undergoing sea trials and expected to join the Indian Navy by 2016-2017. (Nuclear reactor on INS Arihant goes critical; huge step forward for India's N-triad)

India has also proven its ability to launch nuclear missiles from under the sea. Over a dozen test successful test of K-15 missiles - nuclear missiles which will be launched from the submarine - have been conducted in the last few years.