NEWS
On September 15, at 8:43 a.m., the Agni-V long-range nuclear capable-ballistic missile lifted off from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. This second test launch is seen as a major step in India’s efforts to become a regional power that can counter the dominance of China. The Agni-V is a three-stage missile designed to carry about one tonne warhead a distance of 5,000 km, the farthest reach among all Indian missiles that gives India the ability to launch nuclear weapons from anywhere in India. The versatile missile system can be launched from a road-mobile vehicle or railway wagon where it can be kept hidden and moved around at will. It will give India second-strike capability after a nuclear attack by the enemy.

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The genesis of the Agni-V missile system lies in the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) that was initiated in 1983 by the legendary Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in the wake of a decision at the highest echelons of the political leadership. Development of the Agni-V commenced in 2009 and the missile system was test launched for the first time on April 19, 2012. With the success of this maiden test launch, India joined the elite club of nations consisting of the United States of America, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom that have the capability of delivering nuclear weapons on targets over a distance of 5,000 km. This first test launch that was witnessed by a team from the Indian Strategic Forces Command (SFC) was declared as eminently successful. In this test, the efficacy of the guidance system, perhaps the most critical component of the weapon system was proved beyond question.

Aptly nicknamed as China-Killer, the solid propellant Agni-V intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) was test fired on September 15, 2013, from a mobile launcher at the launch complex number four of the Integrated Test Range (ITR). This was the second trial launch in the series of at least five or possibly six after completion of which this formidable weapon system can be accorded operational clearance and would be declared fit for induction into the armed forces. The process of attaining full operational status, however, may take at least up to three years from now and hence the system should not be expected to be ready before 2016. This test has also cleared the way for series production of the weapons system. However, what is more noteworthy at this stage is the fact that the Agni-V has been developed in just four years through almost entirely indigenous effort, an achievement that stands out in sharp contrast to the other programmes of the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), especially of military aircraft that plagued by unforeseen impediments, are perpetually afflicted by time and cost overruns. Beside they often fail to match up with the stipulated operational performance parameters. The successful development of the Agni-V programme ought to be adopted by the scientific community and the stakeholders as a model to emulate in the pursuit of self-reliance in the Indian defence industry.

While the Indian politico-military establishment has for long been conscious of the critical importance of ballistic missile systems in the security dynamics of the Asian region, it was only after the success of the solid fuel Dong Feng (DF)-31 inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme of China that India was driven into embarking on the development of the Agni-V and even further to the Agni-VI. Yet to be test launched, the Agni-VI will have a range of over 6,000 km and a payload capability of three tonnes, three times that of the Agni-V. The Chinese DF-31 ICBM has a range of 11,500 km and can reach targets in the whole of Asia, in Russia and Eastern Europe. The Agni-V missile development programme was undertaken essentially with the aim of acquiring a credible nuclear deterrent capability to constitute one of the legs of India’s nuclear triad. Although the range and payload combination of the Agni-V would be considerably lower than that of the Chinese DF-31 which has been developed with a global perspective with the US and not India as the primary adversary, it is large enough to cover the areas of strategic interest of the nation. Besides, the DRDO is understood to be working on the development of multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) capability, an attribute that the DF-31 does not yet possess and may take a few more years to acquire. In any case, the successful development and operationalisation of the Agni-V, apart from upgrading defence preparedness and security of India, will have implications for the strained Sino-Indian relations and the ongoing dialogue that has not produced any tangible results so far. To fully exploit the potential of this formidable weapon system, it would have to be backed up by effective diplomacy as India will now be able to bargain from a position of strength.

What needs to be borne in mind is that the capability of the delivery system with intercontinental range is best exploited with a nuclear warhead and not with a conventional one. However, it is equally important to remember that a nuclear weapon is most effective when it is used not to win wars but to prevent wars.