India restricts Bay of Bengal airspace from May 6–9 amid possible missile test buzz

India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting airspace over the Bay of Bengal from May 6 to 9, in a move that has triggered speculation over a possible long-range missile test, reported TOI.

The restriction covers a corridor of around 3,560 km stretching from Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, a known launch site for strategic missile trials.

The timing has drawn attention as it comes just days after DRDO chairman Samir V Kamath indicated that India’s defence research agency was ready to test its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range exceeding 10,000 km, named “Agni-6”, and was awaiting government clearance.


While there has been no official confirmation of a launch, the development has fuelled expectations that a major strategic weapons test could be on the horizon.

Adding to the buzz, the BJP on Wednesday made a pointed public reference to the system in a post on X.

“Agni-6: India marching towards becoming a superpower! With a strike range of 10,000+ km and MIRV technology, Agni-6 is ready to make history. This missile will make India's security impregnable and place us in the league of the world's most powerful nations. Powerful India, Secure India!”

The party also shared a video stating that only five countries currently possess intercontinental ballistic missile capability—“America, Russia, China, France and Britain”—and suggested India is preparing to join that group.

“Agni-6 is India’s next-generation missile....With the strike power of long distance, India’s reach is not only going to be regional but also going to be more global” the video added.

The Agni-6 system is expected to feature Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which allows a single missile to carry multiple nuclear warheads and strike different targets independently, significantly enhancing its strategic capability and ability to bypass missile defences.

Separately, India has also recently tested a Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM), which has a reported range of over 1,500 km and a maximum speed of Mach 10, underscoring continued advances in high-end defence technologies.

With inputs from TOI