India tests ballistic missile with 5,000 km range

India has tested a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), the defense ministry said, in what media called a “stern signal” to China as the two remain locked in a border spat.

The Agni-5 missile blasted off from Abdul Kalam Island off India’s east coast late Wednesday and splashed into the Bay of Bengal.

“The successful test … is in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’ [of nuclear weapons],” a defense ministry statement said.