India conducts first flight test of MIRV domestic missile

India successfully conducted the first flight test of a domestically developed missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on messaging platform X on Monday.

Indian scientists have integrated the technology — which delivers multiple warheads to different targets fired from the same missile on the Agni-V platform — and is the latest in India’s nuclear-capable Agni missile series.

Agni-V has a range of 5000 kilometres, making it India’s sole contender for the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) long-range category.

America, Britain, France, China and Russia are among the countries that already use MIRV missiles, while Pakistan tested it in 2017, according to Washington-based non-profit advocacy group, the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

The Indian MIRV missile was developed by the country’s military research arm, the Defence Research and Development Organisation.