India conducted the maiden flight test of its indigenously built Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology.
India conducted the maiden flight test of its indigenously built Agni-5 missile using Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle MIRV technology.
MIRV refers to Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles. This technology allows a single missile to carry many warheads, including nuclear warheads, each of which can be aimed at a separate target.
Here are some important characteristics of MIRV technology:
The warheads of a MIRV-equipped missile are housed in the missile’s bus (post-boost vehicle).Once beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, the bus maneuvers and releases the warheads, which descend to their respective targets.
Strategic advantage: MIRV technology allows one missile to kill.
ЁЯЪи PM Modi announce successful test of Mission Divyastra.
India successfully conducts 1st flight test of Agni-5 missile, with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. pic.twitter.com/zGfAT7yaci
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The enemy’s missile defense strategy is complicated by multiple targets being hit at the same time. It dramatically improves the firepower and deterrence value of a missile system.
Challenges and considerations: Implementing MIRV technology
Complex issues include miniaturizing warheads, developing improved guidance systems, and ensuring the reliability of individual re-entry vehicles.
Agni-5 and MIRV Technology.
While Agni-5 is a significant improvement in India’s missile capacity, incorporating MIRV technology would increase its strategic significance even more.
However, due to the substantial consequences for international security and strategic balance, MIRV technology research and deployment are delicate and tightly guarded matters. If successfully deployed, MIRV technology on Agni-5 would be a significant step forward in India’s ballistic missile program, contributing to the country’s regional deterrence posture.
Major nuclear powers such as the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France have developed MIRVs for intercontinental and submarine warfare.
fired ballistic missiles, drastically affecting global strategic balances.
How MIRV Technology Works.
Launch: A MIRV-equipped missile is launched and follows a ballistic trajectory into space, much like any other missile.
Post-boost phase: Following the boost phase, the missile’s upper stage, called as the “bus,” travels to suborbital space. In this phase, the bus maneuvers and aligns itself according to the designated targets.
Deployment: The bus progressively releases several warheads, decoys, and countermeasures. Each warhead can be given a unique trajectory and target.
Re-entry and Impact: The warheads re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and travel to their designated targets.
The Agni-5 missile has an operating range of at least 5,000 kilometers and can target cities; MIRV technology places numerous cities within that range beneath the target, offering a bigger safety net and various locations within the missile’s reach. The real range of missiles is constantly unknown.
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A NOTAM alert was issued last week in preparation for the test. NOTAM, or notice to airmen, are alerts that designate an area as a no-fly zone. The alert was issued for the Bay of Bengal area, indicating that India is planning a missile test between March 11 and 16. This no-fly zone outlined in the NOTAM alert covers 3,500 kilometers, reaching into the south of the bay of Bengal.
The technique was developed in the 1960s and can be used in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China. For example, a Russian MIRVed missile in development might carry up to 16 warheads, each in its own re-entry vehicle. According to sources, Israel is also striving to create the technology.
The technology requires a combination of huge missiles, compact warheads, precise guidance, and a sophisticated mechanism for successively releasing warheads during flight.