India becomes the first nation to Destroy 4 Targets & Succeed in the MIRV Agni-V Launch! DRDO does it for India.
India succeeded in the first flight test of an indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology on March 11, 2024. India's DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) as a part of Mission Divyastra tested its ICBM (Inter Continental Ballistic Missile) Agni-5 Missile with a special technology called MIRV which can carry multiple warheads and attack different targets.
The missile launch was done at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. It is worth remembering that almost 4 months back on December 12, 2023, Akash surface-to-air missiles weighing 720 kg each surface-to-air missiles travelled in Indian skies at a Mach 3 speed of 3704.4 km/hr, destroying destined targets simultaneously at a 25-kilometre range, India made history on December 12 and India became the only country in the world to demonstrate this capability.
What is MIRV Technology?
MIRV is Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle Technology, which allows a missile to carry with it multiple warheads, capable of destroying different location targets. With multiple warheads which can even hit a single target, the missile becomes lethal, harder for anti-missile technology to intercept it. The complex technology is available in a few nations across the world- US, UK, France, Russia, China and now India.
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Mission Divyastra- MIRV Agni III Missile
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How India hits 4 targets at Once?
The Akash missile system was indigenously developed by DRDO, the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India, and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The Air Force of India conducted this test successfully on December 17, 2023.
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Akash Missile
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Since 2009, the old-horse Akash missile has been operational in the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. It is highly effective in protecting unfortified areas and points from air attacks. The fully mobile surface-to-air missile has demonstrated its capability to neutralise aerial targets as long as 30 km away using its 60 KG warhead.
The 2.5 crore-worth Akash missile uses its proximity fuse to detonate itself when it approaches enemy targets like fighter planes and missiles like cruise, air-to-surface and ballistic missiles.
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Missile Fuse
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Akash missiles use solid fuel to propel. Guided by an indigenously developed radar called Rajendra, it is an electromagnet sensor used to detect, locate, track, and recognise enemy objects. It has a tracking distance of 60 kilometres. Rajendra is named after India's first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
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Radar Rajendra
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The engine used in the Akash missile is the Ramjet Engine, and it can sustain speed up to Mach 6. DRDO and BDL have developed and produced multiple variants of Akash missiles for the needs of the Indian Army and Indian Air Forces.
The Akash-1S, Akash Prime, and Akash NG have been developed and produced until now. Now that India is facing threats from many frontiers, the four threat neutralisation capacities will be an important arsenal in its armoury.
What makes the success more special is that India can proudly say that the Akash missile is made in India. Success is a testimony to Indians' technological prowess and capabilities.
It is important to note that the Indian Army ranks fourth in the global firepower rating, and the Indian Air Force is 3rd strongest in the world based on the True Value Rating (TvR).
