Agni-5 test conducted successfully under ‘Mission Divyastra’

Kathmandu: India has successfully conducted the first flight test of the indigenously produced Agni-5 missile as part of its ‘Mission Divyastra’. On March 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was present during the test conducted in Pokhran.

After the test on March 12 in Pokhran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was a new achievement in India’s security history. He called this success “empowerment through indigenization.” He also discussed it as a “glorious day for a developed and self-reliant India.”

India conducted the test of Agni-1 in 2002. The Agni series is India’s medium and long-range ballistic missile program. These missiles are developed and tested by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

India started its missile development program in 1982 under the leadership of APJ Abdul Kalam. Kalam was widely praised for the success of this project. Later, he also became the President of India. He is known as the “Missile Man.”

The Agni series allows India to develop indigenous missile capabilities, reducing dependence on other countries for strategic defense systems. The successful test on March 12 was a significant milestone in India’s efforts towards becoming self-reliant in advanced missile technology.

The range of Agni-1 ranged upto 700 km. Agni-2 to Agni-4 was from 700 km to 3,500 km. After that, India developed Agni-P, which had a range of 1,000 to 2,000 km.

However, Agni-5 has a range of 5,000 km. Its strike capability covers the entire Asian region and parts of Europe. It is based on Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. Agni-5 is the first missile developed by India using this technology.

MIRV is a special type of missile technology developed by the United States in the 1960s. The US successfully built its first MIRV missile in 1968, while the Soviet Union achieved this in 1972.

Before Agni-5, only five countries – the US, UK, Russia, France, and China – possessed MIRV-based long-range missiles. India has become the sixth country to have such a missile. MIRV missiles can strike multiple targets in different directions and ranges simultaneously. They also have missile defense capabilities.

Despite being MIRV-based, Agni-5 is claimed to be an indigenous missile, hence called a “swadeshi missile.” With the success of Agni-5, it has been believed that India achieved a new height in its missile defense capabilities.