With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a surface-to-surface missile. 2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only. 3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

UPSC Prelims 2014: With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct? — Answer & Explanation

Prelims 2014 · archive

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With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1.It is a surface-to-surface missile.
2.It is fuelled by liquid propellant only.
3.It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 only

Agni-IV is a long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. It runs on a solid-fuel rocket motor, not liquid fuel. Its range is 4,000 km, not 7,500 km. Only statement 1 is correct.

✓ 1. The Ministry of Defence describes Agni-IV as a long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. It is launched from a road-mobile launcher developed by DRDO.
✗ 2. The 2014 test release says Agni-IV is propelled by composite solid fuel rocket motor technology. It does not use liquid propellant, so 'liquid only' is wrong.
✗ 3. Agni-IV's official range is 4,000 km. A range of about 7,500 km is far beyond it.
✗ (c) This option is tempting because Agni-IV is nuclear-capable. But it accepts the wrong 7,500 km range in statement 3.

Remember · Agni-IV: two-stage, solid-fuelled, road-mobile surface-to-surface missile with a 4,000 km range. Agni-V is the longer-range (5,000 km-plus) missile.

Sources

PIB, Ministry of Defence – India Successfully Test Fires Agni-IV (20 Jan 2014) ↗ “AGNI-IV, the 4000 kms range Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile was successfully launched today at 1052 hrs from the Wheeler island off the coast of Odisha. … The AGNI-IV missile propelled by composite solid fuel rocket motor technology was launched from its road mobile launcher indigenously developed by DRDO.”
PIB, Ministry of Defence – Successful Flight Test of Agni-IV (2 Jan 2017) ↗ “Agni-IV, the Long Range Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile with a range of 4,000 kms was successfully flight tested, once again proving the reliability and efficacy of the weapon system.”

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2014, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·

With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Prelims 2014 · archive

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