India conducts first flight test of domestic missile

NEW DELHI — 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 (March 11).

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 km, making it India's sole contender for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) long range category.

America, UK, 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.

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