India restricts Bay of Bengal airspace from May 6–9 amid possible missile test buzz
The restriction covers a corridor of about 3,560 km extending from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, a known launch site for strategic missile tests.
The timing attracted attention as it came just days after DRDO chief Samir V Kamath stated that India’s defense research agency is ready to test its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called ‘Agni-6’ with a range exceeding 10,000 km and is awaiting government permission.
Although there is no official confirmation of the launch, this development has raised expectations that a major strategic weapons test may be on the horizon.
The BJP’s public reference to the system in an X-related post on Wednesday also fueled these rumors.
“Agni-6: India is on its way to becoming a superpower! With a strike range of more than 10,000 km and MIRV technology, Agni-6 is ready to make history. This missile will make India’s security impregnable and place us among the most powerful countries in the world. Strong India, Safe India!”
The party also shared a video stating that currently only five countries have intercontinental ballistic missile capability: “America, Russia, China, France and the UK” and suggested that India is preparing to join this group. “Agni-6 is India’s new generation missile… With its long-range attack power, India’s reach will be not only regional but also more global,” the video said.
The Agni-6 system is expected to feature Multiple Independent Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which allows a single missile to carry multiple nuclear warheads and strike different targets independently, thereby significantly increasing its strategic capability and ability to penetrate missile defences.
Separately, India also recently tested the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM), which is reported to have a range of over 1,500 km and a maximum speed of Mach 10; This underscores continued advances in high-end defense technologies.
With inputs from TOI
