RAS question
Agni-V was first tested in which year?
Correct answer: (C) 2012.
Agni-V was first flight-tested on 19 April 2012 from Wheeler's Island, Odisha.
Explanation
Agni-V's first test was on 19 April 2012, when India conducted the maiden flight test of the long-range ballistic missile from Wheeler's Island in Odisha. The PIB release describes it as a new milestone in India's Integrated Missile Development Programme and records that the missile took off from the launch pad at 08:07 hours after the auto-launch sequence began at 08:04 hours. The source also confirms a range of more than 5000 km and notes that DRDO-developed propulsion stages, navigation systems, onboard computer and fault-tolerant software performed as intended. Later milestones such as the 2015 canister launch test, night launch validation and Mission Divyastra did not change the first-test year, which remains 2012.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 2015 refers to a later canister launch test, not the maiden Agni-V flight test recorded by PIB on 19 April 2012.
- (B) 2008 was before the first Agni-V flight test cited in the official 2012 Ministry of Defence release.
- (D) 2018 was a later user trial phase, whereas the official maiden flight test had already taken place in 2012.
Concept
This tests defence technology chronology under Science and Technology, especially India's strategic missile programme. RAS often asks such first-test and milestone years because they link current affairs with indigenous defence capability.