Ex-DRDO chairman Reddy hails Divyastra, calls it a game-changer for forces

Hailing 'Mission Divyastra', the successful flight test of the Agni-5 missile conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the former chief of the agency, G Satheesh Reddy, on Wednesday said it was a 'game-changer' for armed forces.

The missile is equipped with the MIRV (multiple independently targettable reentry vehicle) technology, enabling it to launch multiple warheads at different targets at the same time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out in praise of the DRDO after the successful launch of 'Mission Divyastra', which put India in an elite club of nations to have developed the MIRV tech.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the former DRDO chief said, "We have developed long-range missiles, with the Agni-5 being the latest in our inventory. The Agni-5 is equipped with the MIRV tech, enabling the launch of multiple warheads at the same time. We have multiple payloads now that can be used to strike targets lying at a distance of a few hundred kilometres simultaneously. The enemy wouldn't have a chance to react and strike back, as its missile defence would be disabled. So, 'Divyastra' is undoubtedly a game-changer for our armed forces. It is equipped with a technologically advanced system and will add significantly to the might of our defence forces."

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed that this mission be accomplished through the use of advanced technologies.

"Having already developed long-range missiles, the MIRV technology was something our scientists had been working on for a couple of years. If this tech can be used in Agni-5, it could be put to use in other missiles as well. However, the need for this tech would depend on the strike range of the missile, whether it merits being MIRV-enabled, what range you want to strike at and other such factors," he added.

"But having worked on similar technologies before, I can say that the PM, himself, directed our scientists to pursue a mission of this kind. I believe that it was on his orders that the scientists took up this mission in earnest and developed this missile. The flight test met with success and all mission objectives were accomplished," Reddy added.

Underscoring the contribution of women scientists, who were majorly involved in this mission, the former DRDO chief added, "Many women scientists are working in defence research and development, contributing a lot to the development of new-age technologies. They are working in various positions (in the DRDO). Be it project directors, program directors, lab directors or director generals, our women scientists are at the front and centre of the development of new defence techs. They have been playing a very important role in the emergence of many new technologies and systems development. As for the MIRV, many women scientists, technological officers and technicians have worked on it. The contribution of women in the development of MIRV has been immense."

Earlier, on Monday, the DRDO conducted its first successful flight test of an indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. The flight test, named Mission Divyastra, was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Various telemetry and radar stations tracked and monitored multiple re-entry vehicles. The mission accomplished the designed parameters.

Lauding the efforts of the DRDO scientists who participated in the conduct of the complex mission, PM Modi posted from his X handle, "Proud of our DRDO scientists for Mission Divyastra, the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also congratulated the scientists and the entire team, terming it as an exceptional success.