India Successfully Tests Agni-5 MIRV Missile Capable Of Hitting Multiple Nuclear Targets Over 5,000 Km

India on Saturday successfully carried out a fresh flight trial of the advanced Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, marking another major step in strengthening the country's strategic deterrence capabilities. The missile was tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast and demonstrated its ability to deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets spread across a vast geographical area.

The successful test further cements India's place among a select group of nations possessing MIRV-capable missile systems, a technology currently held by countries such as the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.

Agni-5 Successfully Hits Multiple Targets

According to the defence ministry, the Agni-5 missile was tested with multiple payloads aimed at targets located across the Indian Ocean Region. The ministry confirmed that all mission objectives were achieved during the trial.

"The missile was flight-tested with multiple payloads, ...(directed at) different targets spatially distributed over a large geographical area in the Indian Ocean Region," the defence ministry said.

Officials said telemetry and tracking operations were conducted through several ground-based and ship-based systems, which monitored the missile's trajectory from launch until impact. The ministry added, "With this successful trial, India once again demonstrated the capability to target multiple strategic targets using a single missile system."

While officials did not disclose the exact number of warheads carried by the MIRV-equipped Agni-5, defence scientists associated with the programme estimated the number could be between four and five.

MIRV Capability Boosts India's Nuclear Deterrence

The latest test significantly enhances India's nuclear strike capabilities as MIRV systems allow a single missile to carry several nuclear warheads, each capable of hitting separate targets hundreds of kilometres apart. This makes interception far more difficult and increases the destructive potential compared to traditional single-warhead missiles.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the successful trial as a major boost for national security. He said the capability would add "an incredible capability to the country's defence preparedness against growing threat perceptions".

India had first tested the Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology in March 2024 under the codename "Mission Divyastra", a name revealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the historic launch.

The Agni-5 missile uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine and has a strike range exceeding 5,000 kilometres. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Agni missile series also includes Agni-1 with a 700-km range, Agni-2 with a 2,000-km range, Agni-3 with a 3,000-km range and Agni-4 capable of striking targets up to 4,000 km away.

Indigenous Technology And Women Scientists Played Key Role

Officials highlighted that the Agni-5 MIRV system is equipped with indigenous avionics and high-accuracy sensor packages developed in India. The 2024 maiden MIRV test was notably led by a woman scientist from the DRDO and also involved several other women scientists in critical roles.

The successful development of MIRV capability is seen as a major milestone for India's indigenous defence technology programme and reflects years of strategic investment in missile systems and nuclear deterrence infrastructure.

India's Nuclear Doctrine And Expanding Triad

India continues to follow its 2003 nuclear doctrine based on a "no first use" policy, under which nuclear weapons can only be used in retaliation to a nuclear strike on Indian territory or armed forces. However, the doctrine also states that any retaliatory response would be massive enough to inflict "unimaginable damage".

The authority to approve retaliatory nuclear strikes lies with the civilian leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority. The Prime Minister heads the political council, while the national security adviser leads the executive council.

India has steadily expanded its nuclear triad capability, allowing strategic weapons to be launched from land, air and sea. In April, the Indian Navy quietly commissioned its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridaman, in Visakhapatnam under a classified programme aimed at strengthening the sea-based leg of the country's deterrence system.

Apart from India, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China currently possess the capability to launch nuclear weapons from submarines.

India's Nuclear Arsenal Compared Globally

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India possessed around 180 nuclear warheads as of January 2025. The report estimated China's arsenal at 600 warheads, while Pakistan was believed to possess around 170 nuclear weapons.

The latest Agni-5 MIRV test is expected to further enhance India's strategic position amid evolving regional security dynamics and increasing focus on long-range deterrence capabilities.