After three successful ballistic missile tests during the past fortnight, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) is finalising preparations for the big one. In December, the giant Agni-5 missile will blast off from Wheeler Island, on the Orissa coast, travelling its full range of 5,000 km to a target in the southern Indian Ocean. Agni-5 is debuting with a full-range test for two reasons. First, so that there is no question about how far it can strike. Second, to test not just the missile, but also whether the DRDO’s monitoring networks can cope with such enormous ranges, tracking the Agni-5 every moment en route to a target 5,000 km away.