The development and deployment of MIRV technology are sensitive and closely guarded subjects, given their significant implications for international security and strategic balance.
Deterrence capability
The MIRV tech contributes to the country’s deterrence posture in the region and sends a clear message to China and Pakistan. It also puts India in a select group of nations to possess such tech.
The US, UK, Russia, China and France also have missiles capable of carrying multiple independently targetable warheads.
Agni-5 is primarily for enhancing India’s nuclear deterrence against China as it has a range of 5,000km-7,000km.
In November 2021, India tested the nuclear-capable version of Agni-5 successfully.
On December 15, 2022, the first night trial of Agni-5 was successfully carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
The latest test ensures that a single missile can deploy multiple warheads at different locations.
This system is equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high-accuracy sensor packages, which ensure that the re-entry vehicles reach the target points within the desired accuracy.
The capability is an enunciator of India’s growing technological prowess, government officials said.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation said the flight test named Mission Divyastra was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Various Telemetry and radar stations tracked and monitored multiple re-entry vehicles. “The mission accomplished the designed parameters,” the agency said.
China worried?
Notably, a Chinese vessel was spotted near India’s coast in the Bay of Bengal over the weekend.
The Xiang Yang Hong 01 was observed off India’s eastern coast over the weekend, according to a Reuters report citing an Indian security official, a geo-intelligence researcher, and ship tracking information.
This comes even as a similar ship – Xiang Yang Hong 03 – is docked at a port in the Maldives.
While Beijing claims that the ships are conducting peaceful ocean-bed surveys for scientific purposes, Indian officials worry that they could also be gathering military intelligence, including information related to submarine deployments and missile tests.
(With inputs from agencies)