India extends NOTAM range to 4,790 Km, Is India Planning to test A New Mega Missile?

India is preparing for a significant long-range missile test scheduled for August 20-21, 2025, which is marked by an unprecedented Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering a danger zone of approximately 4,790 kilometres stretching deep into the Indian Ocean from the Odisha coast.

This marked increase from earlier NOTAMs—starting from 1,560 km, then expanded to 2,530 km, and now to 4,790 km—signals a potential test of a highly advanced missile system with capabilities far beyond previous tests.

This expanded NOTAM range implies that India’s upcoming missile test could involve a weapon with intercontinental strike capabilities. Defence analysts speculate that the test might be for an enhanced variant of the Agni series missile, possibly the Agni-6—an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) expected to have a range exceeding 6,000 km—or a cutting-edge hypersonic missile under development by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Such a missile would significantly extend India’s strategic reach into the Indo-Pacific and beyond, covering much of Asia, parts of Europe, and Africa within its hypothetical strike range.

The NOTAM establishes a no-fly and no-sail zone to ensure safety during the test and reflects India’s intent to demonstrate and validate its missile deterrence and power projection capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

This effort projects strategic resolve to rivals like Pakistan, China, and Turkey by showing India’s enhanced ability to strike targets at great distances, secure sea lanes, and maintain credible second-strike capability amid regional security dynamics.

While BrahMos and BrahMos-II are notable supersonic and hypersonic cruise missiles with shorter ranges (BrahMos around 290 km and BrahMos-II under development for enhanced offensive capability), they typically do not require a 4,790 km danger zone.

The vast NOTAM coverage thus more likely aligns with an ICBM-class test, emphasising longer range and higher impact, rather than these cruise missiles primarily designed for regional maritime or battlefield use.

The NOTAM covering 4,790 km in the Indian Ocean indicates India is on the brink of testing a next-generation, long-range missile system—potentially an advanced ICBM or hypersonic missile—that can provide India with strategic deterrence capabilities across continents, commanding significant geopolitical influence in Asia and beyond.

This test is expected to be a strong strategic message to regional adversaries regarding India’s growing missile prowess and its readiness to defend its interests at extended ranges.