With Agni V test, India makes the MIRV leap

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Defence

Context:

On March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on social media the successful flight test of an Agni V ballistic missile with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology.

What are MIRVs and why are they significant?

A MIRV is a ‘missile bus’ whose passengers are nuclear bombs and which facilitates a single booster to deliver them to different targets.
MIRVs are a “force multiplier” because one MIRV-ed missile can strike several targets.
MIRVs are also useful for saturating and penetrating ballistic missile defenses.
In 1970, the U.S. started to deploy the Minuteman III, the first MIRV-ed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with three warheads on each missile.
In 1971, it deployed the Poseidon, the first MIRV-ed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The Soviet Union followed the U.S. and by the 1970s developed its own MIRV-ed ICBM and SLBM technology.
The U.K. and France also possess the technology.
China has developed and deployed MIRV technology with multiple warheads placed on its DF-5B ICBMs and is fast expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal.

What was the Mission Divyastra test?

The MIRV system is equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high accuracy sensor packages that ensure the re-entry vehicles reach the target points with the desired accuracy.
The ‘Agni’ series of missiles constitute the backbone of India’s nuclear weapons delivery, and Agni V is the longest range missile in the arsenal, with a reach of over 5,000 km.
This means it can reach most of China, especially with a smaller warhead, which would increase the range further.
MIRV technology gives better leverage in this regard.