India, on Monday, conducted a flight test of its Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-5 with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This is India’s first test of any ballistic missile with MIRV capability.

Announcing the achievement and congratulating Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “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 announcement was made on media platform ‘X’.

Calling the test exceptional success, defence minister Rajnath Singh, in his message on ‘X’ said that India has “joined the select group of nations who have MIRV.”

The DRDO developed three-stage solid fuel missile Agni-5 is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy. The missile is suspected to be capable of hitting additional 3000 km beyond its tested range of 5000 km.

MIRV allows a missile to carry more than one warhead which can be programmed to target different locations. This is a crucial capability to acquire redundancy against anti-ballistic capability of adversary and also make nuclear deterrence more efficient. A MIRV capable ICBM can replace multiple ICBMs and thus reducing the storage, security, infrastructure and manpower requirements of strategic force command.

Except India and Pakistan, all nuclear powers have matured MIRV capability. North Korea’s Hwasong-18, first flight tested in April 2023, is claimed to be MIRV capable.