(Image source from: Twitter.com/BJP4India)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a significant announcement today regarding the creation of "Mission Divyastra." This groundbreaking weapons system, developed within the country, has the power to reshape India's geopolitical and strategic position, bringing about significant changes in southeast Asia. The Agni-5 MIRV missile, which has been in development by the DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation) for over a decade, successfully completed its inaugural flight. What sets this new weapon system apart is its Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This technology enables a single missile to deploy multiple nuclear warheads, striking targets at various locations simultaneously. Currently, only a few nations possess this technology, and by testing it successfully, India has joined this exclusive group. The United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China are among the countries that have developed MIRVs.
Proud of our DRDO scientists for Mission Divyastra, the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 11, 2024
In response to this achievement, President of India Ms Droupadi Murmu expressed her appreciation, stating that the first flight test of the Agni V under Mission Divyastra is a significant milestone for India's growing geo-strategic role and capabilities. The cutting-edge technology, developed within the country, is a crucial step towards India's self-reliance. Ms Murmu conveyed her heartfelt congratulations to the Team DRDO for this remarkable accomplishment and expressed her confidence in their ongoing pursuit of excellence and self-sufficiency.
The first flight test of Agni V under Mission Divyastra marks a very important milestone in India’s march towards greater geo-strategic role and capabilities. The state-of-the-art technology developed indigenously is a firm step in the direction of India becoming Atmanirbhar. I…
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 11, 2024
Saraswat, previously in charge of DRDO and currently a Science and Technology member of NITI Aayog, praised the Agni-5 missile as a significant advantage for India due to its ability to execute a retaliatory second strike. He emphasized the importance of this capability given India's commitment to a no-first-use policy. Developing a ballistic missile is already challenging, but designing one with the capability to carry multiple warheads that can be launched in different directions is an even more difficult task.
Indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology successful tested as part of Mission Divyastra today https://t.co/6NVZgWoZ4z pic.twitter.com/zsotqZtLUq
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) March 11, 2024
An MIRV payload refers to a single missile that carries multiple nuclear warheads, each programmed to hit a different target. This allows India to effectively utilize a single missile and target adversaries in both the east and west within a radius of over 5,000 km. The system is also equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high precision sensor packages, ensuring that the re-entry vehicles accurately reach their intended targets. The weapons system was suspected to have been tested within a range of 3,550 km, as indicated by the issuance of a no-fly NOTAM in that specific range. The Agni-5 missile possesses its own system for guidance and control. It has the capability to be launched at an altitude of approximately 300-400 km above the primary target location and can successfully strike separate targets.
