Latest news with #MIRVs
India.com
3 days ago
- India.com
Does Iran have military technology like US, Russia? What is MIRV technology that has left Israel scared?
Does Iran have military technology like US, Russia? What is MIRV technology that has left Israel scared? The Israeli army has claimed that it has recovered several Iranian missiles that did not explode. One of these was loaded with a cluster bomb warhead and had been fired from central Iran. Thankfully, all the warheads were found intact, which means they didn't cause any damage. Now, Israel is trying to find out whether Iran has started using MIRV technology in its missiles. MIRV stands for Multiple Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicle. It is a very advanced missile system that only a few countries in the world have—like the U.S., Russia, China, India, France, Israel, and the U.K. How MIRVs changed the rules of war MIRV technology (Multiple Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicles) changed how missile warfare works. It first appeared in the early 1970s on the U.S. Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. Soon after, the Soviet Union also developed its own MIRV-equipped missiles. This technology brought a big shift in nuclear strategy. Why? Because it forced missile defense systems to do more work. If one missile carries five warheads, the enemy must launch five interceptors—one for each warhead—or take the risk of getting hit. That makes defending against such missiles very expensive and technically difficult. So instead of stopping just one missile, now you need to stop multiple warheads coming from that single missile—all heading to different targets. This made nuclear deterrence even stronger and missile defense less reliable. Which countries have MIRV technology? Only a few of the world's most advanced nuclear powers have confirmed MIRV systems: United States Russia China France United Kingdom These countries have deployed MIRVs on land-based missiles and submarine-launched missiles. India has also tested MIRV technology with its Agni-V missile, and is moving toward full deployment. Pakistan and North Korea have claimed MIRV testing, but experts say there's not enough proof yet that they actually have working systems with independently targeted warheads. As of now, no other country is known to have operational MIRVs. That's why MIRV capability is seen as a sign of a fully developed and powerful nuclear force.
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
India Overtakes Pakistan In Nuclear Arsenal For First Time, Unleashes New Agni Missiles That Can Strike Multiple Targets At Once
New Delhi: There was not any fanfare. No grand announcement from the government. No breaking headlines. But sometime between last year and this one, India quietly pulled ahead in a race it has long been part of – one that rarely gets spoken of openly. For the first time, India is believed to hold more nuclear warheads than Pakistan. According to data gathered by international researchers monitoring global armaments, India now has around 180 nuclear weapons. That is about eight more than what it held the year before. Meanwhile, Pakistan has stayed steady at 170. This change may seem small on paper, but it carries weight. Both countries have walked a delicate line for decades, shaped by wars, ceasefires and mutual deterrence. Numbers alone do not define strategy, but they do tell a story. Behind this quiet leap is a shift in the kind of missiles India is building. In labs and testing fields far from public view, Indian scientists have been working on something newer, lighter, faster and more capable of staying hidden until the moment it is needed. The latest additions include the Agni-P and Agni-5, both part of India's long-range strike options. They are mobile, harder to detect and designed to be stored with warheads already attached and ready to launch if the order ever comes. One of them, the Agni-5, stretches India's reach far beyond the subcontinent. With a range of more than 5,000 kilometers, it can reportedly reach deep into Asia, parts of Europe and northern Africa. What is more, it may soon carry what is known as MIRVs – multiple warheads on a single missile (MIRVs) – each programmed to hit different targets. This kind of system is not common. It is a technology seen mostly in the arsenals of the United States, Russia and China. Though officials have not confirmed if the MIRV-equipped version of Agni-5 is fully operational, recent tests suggest India is inching closer. And that development could give Indian strategic forces a sharp edge not only in range but in complexity. A single launch could now mean multiple incoming threats for any adversary trying to intercept them. Even the Agni-P, designed for shorter distances, is no less important. It is meant to replace older models, but what makes it stand out is how quickly it can be moved and fired. Stored in sealed canisters, these missiles can be transported across roads without anyone knowing what is inside. When it comes to second-strike capability, survivability matters more than numbers. In the background of all this, China has been expanding at a pace that has caught global attention. From 500 nuclear warheads last year, China's estimated stockpile has grown to 600 in just 12 months. And if construction continues at its current pace – across deserts and remote mountain areas – it could rival the United States or Russia in the number of long-range missiles it fields within a decade. Pakistan, meanwhile, has focused on refining battlefield-range systems like the Nasr and Ababeel. But for now, its nuclear count appears unchanged. While India's nuclear policy remains centered around 'credible minimum deterrence', its investments suggest a clear intent to stay prepared for evolving threats. The idea of having enough firepower is to retaliate but never to strike first. For now, the numbers remain modest. But with aging agreements due to expire and no new treaties on the horizon, the region may be entering a new phase – one shaped less by war and more by silent preparation.
India.com
06-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Pakistan Test-Fires New Missiles: India Or Pakistan, Who Has More Powerful Missiles?
photoDetails english 2896497 Updated:May 06, 2025, 02:04 PM IST ICBM, MIRVs At Display 1 / 7 India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed neighbors, have developed extensive missile arsenals as part of their strategic deterrence postures. While both nations possess a range of missile capabilities, India's missile program exhibits advancements in range, payload, and technology, particularly with the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology. 1. India's Long-Range Missile Capabilities 2 / 7 India's missile program, spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), includes the Agni series. Agni-V is an ICBM with a range of approximately 7,000–8,000 km, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and equipped with MIRV technology. Agni-VI is currently under development, this missile is expected to have a range exceeding 10,000 km and will also feature MIRV capabilities. 2. Pakistan's Missile Capabilities 3 / 7 Pakistan's missile arsenal primarily focuses on regional deterrence. Shaheen-III is a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 2,750 km, capable of reaching all parts of India. Ababeel was tested in 2017, and this missile reportedly has a range of 2,200 km and is designed to carry MIRVs, enhancing its strategic capabilities. While these missiles bolster Pakistan's deterrence posture, their range and technological sophistication are currently limited compared to India's ICBMs. 3. Nuclear Warhead Estimates 4 / 7 Both countries maintain nuclear arsenals as part of their strategic deterrence and India is estimated to possess approximately 165-170 nuclear warheads. Pakistan is estimated to have around 170-172 nuclear warheads. 4. Technological Advancements 5 / 7 India has made significant strides in missile technology. India's successful test of the Agni-V with MIRV capability allows a single missile to carry multiple nuclear warheads, each capable of striking different targets. Pakistan's development of the Ababeel missile indicates efforts to achieve similar capabilities, though operational deployment details remain limited. 5. Strategic Doctrines 6 / 7 Adheres to a "No First Use" (NFU) nuclear policy, India emphasizing deterrence and restraint. Pakistan maintains a policy that allows for first use of nuclear weapons under certain circumstances, aiming to deter conventional military threats. 6. India vs Pakistan Verdict 7 / 7 In summary, while both India and Pakistan have developed missile capabilities to serve their strategic objectives, India's advancements in long-range ICBMs and MIRV technology provide it with a more extensive and technologically sophisticated missile arsenal. Pakistan continues to enhance its missile capabilities, focusing on regional deterrence and developing technologies trying to get an edge against India.
Express Tribune
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India's growing missile capabilities
Listen to article Like other leading nuclear powers, India has been modernising its conventional and nuclear forces. Recent reports from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, International Institute for Strategic Studies and many other leading national and international think tanks reflect how and why India is growing and modernising its deterrent forces. Scholarly assessments could be a) prestige, b) power projection, c) escalation dominance, and d) temptation for preemptive strikes for winning short and long battles. It is imperative to note that India has been developing Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) systems, Multiple Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), the K-series ranging from 700km to expected 5000+km, Brahmos missile series from supersonic to hypersonic with increasing ranges from 500km to 1500km, S-400 sophisticated missile defense systems, and more importantly India's Defence Research & Development Organization has ambitious plans for Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) ranging up to 15000km. Technically, all these increasing ranges and lethality goes beyond China reaching up to the Central Asian region, Russia, Canada, the US and the Latin American countries. That said, India is not only increasing the number of nuclear weapons, but also the delivery systems required for carrying these warheads to assigned targets. The more India increases its warheads, the more delivery systems it would require. One of the sophisticated delivery systems is India's growing nuclear capable missile systems. It counts from short ranges reaching up to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). For example, it is reported in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists on "India Nuclear Forces, 2024" that India's new Agni types of missiles could even go beyond ranges of 10,000km. Some scholars even assess that such ranges could further increase up to 16,000km. One wonders if India's growing missile capabilities with increasing ranges and sophistication could threaten regional and global security. Aforementioned, India's aspiration for power projection comes from its economic wherewithal and its increasing strategic partnership with the leading powers such as the US, Russia and Israel that in turn boosts up its force modernisation. The recent Trump-Modi meeting indicates how the US President might influence the Indian leadership to buy American technology including the US offer for its F-35 aircrafts. Whether or not India gets the F-35, the deterrent force modernisation and power maximisation emanating out of such an imbalanced strategic partnership increases India's security. This happens without strategically comprehending how this could potentially decrease the security of Pakistan amidst the acute security dynamics between the two South Asian rivals. India and Pakistan have already fought a number of wars, faced a number of crises and confronted many border skirmishes. Unresolved longstanding issue of Kashmir has become a nuclear flashpoint. The Balakot crisis on 26 February 2019 reflected India's failed, but escalatory risk for imposing its dominance in the region. However, Pakistan responded with the Swift Retort on the following day. The risk of escalation from conventional to nuclear level continues to exist and the growing strategic imbalance between the two rivals further worsens such escalatory risk in South Asia. The leading powers need to be cognisant of India's growing missile capabilities that accelerates arms race, security dilemma and crisis instability. The increasing imbalances emanating out of the leading powers growing strategic ventures with India adds fuel to the fire. Crisis management for the ultimate crisis resolution through the balancing act by major powers may help reduce the risk of escalation. Pakistan continues to retain strategic balance for ensuring its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such strategic balance is India-specific for deterrence purposes while ensuring broader strategic stability in South Asia.
