India’s Agni II

India’s Agni II missile is on display while at a rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in this Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2002 file photo. India successfully test fired Thursday, April 12, 2007 a new missile, Agni III, capable of carrying nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East, a defense ministry spokesman said. (AP Photo/Ajit Kumar, File)

But each warhead in an MIRV must impact within 40 metres of its target. With such high accuracies, even small nuclear warheads are sufficient for the job.

Strategic planners consider MIRVs essential, given India’s declared “no first use” nuclear policy. Even after an enemy has hit India with a full-fledged nuclear strike, destroying or incapacitating much of the strategic arsenal, a handful of surviving Indian missiles must be capable of retaliating with massive and unacceptable damage. Multiple warheads on a handful of Agni-5 missiles would constitute such a capability.

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Missile breakthrough: Agni-V poised for a global reach

Hyderabad: The Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad, which develops India’s strategic (long-range, nuclear-tipped) missiles, has dramatically increased the options for its forthcoming Agni-5 missile by making it highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road.

An upgraded version of the Indian Agni missile, which has nuclear capability and the range to reach deep inside neighboring territory, is seen on its mobile launch pad on Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal before its successful test Sunday, April 11, 1999. The test came despite U.S. requests that India hold off on development of its nuclear program. (AP Photo/HO)

That enables the Agni-5 to reach targets far beyond its stated 5,000-km range by quickly moving closer to the target. In a hypothetical war against, say, Sweden, an Agni-5 launcher, stationed near Bangalore, would be unable to strike Stockholm, 7,000 km away. But moving by road to Amritsar would bring Stockholm within range.

Similarly, moving the Agni-5 to northeast India would bring even Harbin, China’s northernmost city, within striking range. From various places across India, the Agni-5 can reach every continent except North and South America.

The Agni-5 will be the first canisterised, road-mobile missile in India’s arsenal, similar to the Dongfeng-31A that created ripples during China’s National Day Military Parade in Beijing on October 1. India’s current long-range missile, the Agni-3, a non-canisterised missile, can only be moved with difficulty from one place to another

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