In March 2024, India carried out four important events linked to national security which also carried a message of Narendra Modi led central government to the world. With the successful test firing of thr Agni-5 missile or the core loading of the fast-breeding reactor at Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam, India has demonstrated top level technologies as well as make sure that its national security is not compromised in any way.
The core loading of the fast-breeding reactor prototype of 50 megawatts is something which people may have dismissed as considering a routine exercise. However, it is important to note that the reactor ensures that India has an ample supply of plutonium which can be used or energy and military purposes.
Further, it has been fed into the system through the mixed oxide fuel and it ensures that it plugs the gap which has occurred because of lower availability of uranium in the country. This is a part of the three-stage nuclear cycle and signifies that India doesn’t need help from a third country to have plutonium for power generation and military applications. Bedsides India, the only Russia and France have fast breeding reactors.
The test firing of the Agni-5 missile which had three Multi Independently Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV) was done on March 11 with the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on March 7, 2024. The moment the NOTAM was issued, the Chinese moved their vessel to track the missile. The Agni-5 missile is capable of firing three warheads simultaneously with different velocities to evade the ballistic missile defence of the adversary.
Interestingly, Pakistan tried the launch of MIRV missiles three years ago but failed miserably as the three warheads actually fell, within the vicinity of 2km. However, India has the capacity to launch three warheads simultaneously within 150 to 200km range.
The Agni-5 missile is actually a part of India’s nuclear triad and it is a step towards building a minimum credible deterrence for India. Today, the country has submarine launched ballistic missiles, air launched capability and hence the basic foundations of the nuclear triad are more or less complete.
The MIRV equipped missiles are part of the natural progression of nuclear weapon state which India declared itself through the Shakti Pokhran test in 1999. More test firings, more operationalisation of the Agni-5 and then its induction into the land forces will ensure nobody casts an evil eye on India.
With these developments, China and Pakistan realised that India could not be taken lightly any longer. China got the lesson back in 2017 when India stopped it from occupying the Doklam Plateau and similarly Pakistan also learnt its lesson during the 2019 Balakot Airstrike.
When Pakistan captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and tried to brutalise him, then PM Modi through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief to then DG of the ISI Asim Munir saying that we have not got the missile for Diwali. If anything happens to Abhinandan, there will be serious consequences and subsequently India’s Prithvi missiles were moved to Rajasthan.
As a result of this, the next day, PM of Pakistan, Imran Khan released Abhinandan from captivity. Another development which drew the attention was visiting the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, followed by the visiting the Bharat Shakti exercises in Pokhran. PM Modi as Shantidoot and Shaktidoot conveyed the message that India loves peace, but also has the capability to fight a conflict indigenously.
With this development, China realised that it had to change its nuclear strategy towards India and while Pakistan would now lean more to China all the more. India with these military exercises sent a global message that it cannot can no longer sit on the fence and look towards both India and China; European nations have to sort out their own internal conflicts before they start to cast aspersion on India on various issues including human rights.
It also delivered a message to the regional powers and the neighbours who particularly always played the China card against India including those who have recently decided that they want to go the China way that these developments are going to ensure that nobody can take India casually and India’s voice must be heard on the global table.
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