Mission Divyastra: Agni-5 missile makes first flight test with MIRV

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for successfully conducting the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed Agni-5 missile, dubbed Mission Divyastra.

“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 in a post on social networking platform X.

The Agni-5 missile, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of 5,500 to 5,800 kilometres, marks a pivotal enhancement in India’s strategic defence arsenal.

This development is particularly significant as it aims to bolster India’s nuclear deterrence, especially against potential threats from the eastern frontiers.

Until the advent of Agni-5, India’s longest-range missile was Agni-III, with a capability of reaching up to 3,500 kilometres, insufficient to cover the extreme eastern and northeastern regions of potential adversaries.

India is working towards the strengthening of the nuclear triad, which is a capability of launching nuclear missiles from land, air and sea.

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