India attained an advancement in its defense capabilities with the successful test of Mission Divyastra, marking the debut flight test of the indigenously developed Agni-5 missile integrated with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This breakthrough empowers a single missile to deploy multiple warheads simultaneously, targeting distinct locations, enhancing the country's deterrence capabilities.
Led by a female project director and with substantial contributions from women, the successful test places India among a select group of nations possessing MIRV capabilities.
Equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high-accuracy sensor packages, the Mission Divyastra ensured that the re-entry vehicles precisely reached their designated target points. Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for their remarkable achievement, stating, "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."
The development of MIRV technology by DRDO scientists has been a longstanding endeavor, aiming to augment India's strategic capabilities. MIRV technology enables a single missile, like the Agni-5, to carry multiple warheads capable of targeting independently selected locations. This capability extends the reach and effectiveness of India's ballistic missile arsenal, providing a strategic advantage in deterrence.
Agni-5, an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), traverses space before re-entering the atmosphere, capable of engaging multiple targets located across varying distances. With MIRV technology, the missile can unleash several warheads, nuclear or non-nuclear, across targets separated by hundreds of kilometers. Some MIRVed missiles possess the capability to strike targets distanced up to 1,500 kilometers apart.
The deployment of MIRV technology offers strategic flexibility, enabling India to engage multiple targets effectively, enhancing its first-strike capabilities during conflicts. While Agni-5 had been previously tested with a single warhead, the integration of MIRV technology elevates its operational versatility and potency.
As missiles re-enter the atmosphere, they attain speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), diminishing the efficacy of Anti-Missile Defence (AMD) systems, primarily designed to intercept single targets. MIRV technology presents a formidable challenge to existing AMD systems.
The technology necessitates a fusion of sizeable missiles, warheads, precise guidance systems, and an intricate mechanism for the sequential release of warheads mid-flight.
The United States was the first country to pioneer MIRV technology, launching a MIRV-equipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in 1970, followed by a MIRV-enabled Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in 1971. The Soviet Union swiftly pursued, developing their own MIRV-capable ICBMs and SLBMs by the late 1970's.
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