Mission Divyastra

Published: 14th Mar, 2024

Context

In a major technological leap for India’s nuclear deterrent, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted India’s first successful flight test of the indigenously developed Agni-V missile.

Key-highlights

The flight test was named Mission Divyastra.
The weapon is equipped Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.

About Agni-5 missiles

Agni Vis a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.
It has a range of up to 5,000 km.
It is road-mobile and can be transported by a truck and launched via a canister.
This system is also equipped with indigenous Avionics systems and high-accuracy sensor packages that ensure that the re-entry vehicles reach the target points with the desired accuracy.
With its range, it can bring almost the entire Asia including the northernmost part of China as well as some regions in Europe under its striking range.
It will greatly enhance India's national security — delivering multiple warheads to different targets with precision.
The country has already deployed the Agni 1 to 4 missiles — with ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km.

Fact Box: MIRV technology

The technology that goes into putting multiple warheads on a single rocket or missile is known as “multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle” (MIRV) technology.
It involves launching a single missile carrying 4-6 warheads, each of which can be programmed to strike a separate target, several hundred kilometres apart.
Launching a MIRV-tipped missile – say an Agni-IV or Agni-V – offers several tactical and strategic advantages. It provides more target options to the attacker.
Meanwhile, the defender is forced to defend all of them simultaneously, with its anti-missile defences possibly being overwhelmed.

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Mission Divyastra

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CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC IAS

Mission Divyastra

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