India’s first flight test of the Agni-5 missile with the Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology took place on Monday. This technology makes it possible for the weapon system to target multiple nuclear warheads, which increases India’s ability to repel potential threats.
When the rocket was launched as part of Mission Divyastra (divine weapon), India joined the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China as the only countries that can actually use MIRV missile systems.
The experts at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) were praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the successful test.
“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,” PM Modi said on X.
What is MIRV technology?
The MIRV technology, which tries to place multiple warheads in different places with a single launch, was tested for the first time during the Agni-5 test flight. The Agni-5 weapon system has its own avionics systems and high-precision sensor sets, which made sure that the re-entry vehicles hit their targets with the accuracy that was needed.
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation says that Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) were first created in the early 1960s so that a single missile could carry multiple nuclear warheads, each of which could hit a different target on its own.
America was the first country to use MIRV technology. They launched an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) and an SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) in 1970 and 1971, respectively.
Other countries that have MIRV technology are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and India. Pakistan is also working on getting MIRVs. In January 2017, they are said to have tested the Ababeel, a MIRV-equipped missile.
When they were first made, MIRVs weren’t meant to beat ballistic missile defenses, but they are much harder to protect against than regular missiles.
But using MIRV technology comes with a lot of complicated problems, such as making weapons smaller, creating better guidance systems, and making sure that each re-entry vehicle works properly.
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