By Jhinuk Chowdhury
India’s Agni V is more of a political weapon than a war armament.
India’s defense arsenal received a significant boost with the successful test of the Agni-V – considered India’s first true intercontinental range ballistic missile (ICBM). The Agni-V’s effective range covers all of China and part of Europe. With this addition to its arsenal, India has now joined the elite ICBM club with just five other countries across the world: the United States, Russia, France, China, and Britain.
While the country conducted two tests earlier in 2012 and 2013, the current version of Agni-V is said to be significantly cutting-edge in its navigation and guidance capabilities. The Agni-V can be launched from effectively anywhere in India, giving the country the ability to hit back and maintain a second-strike capability even after facing a nuclear strike.
The missile, likely to be inducted soon into the Indian armed forces, may be equipped with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) in the future – a possibility that raises alarm among many analysts who foresee a possible arms race with the potential to destabilize the region.
Read the full story at The Diplomat