Introduction
On 11 March 2024, India tested its Agni-5 ballistic missile, codenamed ‘Divyastra.’ This missile boasts a range exceeding 5500 kilometers, making it India’s longest-range missile.
Regarding its firepower, the Divyastra carries Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, allowing it to deliver multiple warheads to separate targets with a single launch. This technology will significantly strengthen India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities as MIRV technology enables Agni-5 to carry several nuclear warheads at once so they can split up and hit different targets.
The continuous increase in numbers of Indian nuclear warheads, building Ballistic Missile Defenses (BMDs), and acquiring MIRV capability is an operational extension of Indian counter-force pre-emptive nuclear strikes, which can lead to the triggering of a potential nuclear war with catastrophic consequences for the region and beyond.
This will be a sharp ‘coup-de-grâce’ to the strategic stability in the Pakistan-India dyad, where the onus of maintaining strategic stability will rest with Pakistan through a measured and restrained response.
Read the full CISS Strategic View: https://ciss.org.pk/PDFs/Strategic_View_V.pdf
About the Author
Ms Anum A. Khan is Associate Director Research at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
