{"id":287506,"date":"2024-03-19T19:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T13:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=287506"},"modified":"2024-03-19T18:25:16","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T12:55:16","slug":"indias-nuclear-deterrence-and-agni-v-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-nuclear-deterrence-and-agni-v-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"India’s Nuclear Deterrence and Agni-V- Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"

The successful test<\/span> of Agni-V ballistic missile dubbed as Mission<\/span> ‘Divyastra<\/span>‘ is a watershed moment<\/span> in the development of India’s Nuclear Deterrence capabilities. Agni-V’s impressive range of 5000 kms and enhanced potency due to Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs)<\/a>, has bolstered India’s nuclear Deterrence.<\/p>\n

\"India's
Created By Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
Table of Content<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What is Nuclear Deterrence? Where does it fit in India’s Nuclear Policy?<\/a>
\nHow has India’s Nuclear Deterrence developed over the years?<\/a>
\nWhat is the Significance of Agni V missile?<\/a>
\nWhat are the Challenges to India’s development of deterrence capabilities?<\/a>
\nWhat Should be the Way Forward?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What is Nuclear Deterrence? Where does it fit in India’s Nuclear Policy?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nuclear Deterrence-<\/strong><\/span> Nuclear deterrence is a strategy employed by states possessing nuclear weapons<\/span> to prevent adversaries from initiating a nuclear attack<\/span> by convincing them that the costs and consequences of such an attack would outweigh any potential benefits.<\/p>\n

Principle Behind Nuclear Deterrence-<\/strong><\/span> Nuclear Deterrence operates on the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction<\/span> (MAD<\/span>), where both sides possess sufficient nuclear capabilities to inflict unacceptable damage on each other, thereby deterring any hostile actions.<\/p>\n

India’s Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Deterrence<\/strong>–<\/span> Maintenance of credible nuclear deterrence is one of the foremost priorities of India’s Nuclear Policy.
\na. Credible Minimum Deterrence-<\/strong> India would maintain a sufficient number of nuclear weapons to deter a nuclear attack, but it would not seek to match other countries\u2019 arsenals in size.
\nb. Retaliation to a Nuclear Attack-<\/strong> If India is subject to a nuclear attack, it would retaliate, causing massive damage to the aggressor.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How has India’s Nuclear Deterrence developed over the years?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Development of India’s Nuclear Deterrence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1947<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPost Independence, India pursued development of nuclear weapons capability, particularly in light of regional tensions<\/span> and the emergence of nuclear-armed neighbours<\/span>, namely China<\/span> and Pakistan<\/span>.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1974<\/strong><\/td>\nIndia conducted its first nuclear test, codenamed ‘Smiling<\/span> Buddha<\/span>‘. This test demonstrated India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1974-1998<\/strong><\/td>\nDuring this phase, India maintained nuclear ambiguity<\/span>, neither confirming nor denying the possession<\/span> of nuclear weapons. This ambiguity served as a form of deterrence, maintaining uncertainty about India’s nuclear status.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1998<\/strong><\/td>\nThe Pokhran Tests of 1998<\/span>, which comprised of five nuclear detonations, both fission and fusion, marked India’s evolution as a nuclear weapons state.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
After 1998 Tests<\/strong><\/td>\nFollowing the 1998 tests, India outlined its Nuclear Doctrine. The key elements of India’s nuclear doctrine include a No First Use<\/span> (NFU) policy, minimum credible deterrence<\/span>, and retaliation<\/span> only in the event of a nuclear attack. India also established Strategic Forces Command (SFC) to oversee the management, deployment, and operational control of India’s nuclear forces.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Modernization and Missile Development Efforts for Nuclear Deterrence<\/strong><\/p>\n

India has pursued an extensive missile development program as part of its nuclear deterrence strategy. These efforts have aimed to enhance its capability to deliver nuclear weapons effectively and establish a credible nuclear deterrence posture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Land Based Deterrence<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Agni Series<\/strong><\/td>\nThe Agni series of ballistic missiles<\/span> are among India’s most prominent strategic weapons. The series includes Agni-I<\/span> (700-1,250 km range<\/span>), Agni-II<\/span> (2,000-3,000 km range<\/span>), Agni-III<\/span> (3,000-5,000 km range<\/span>), Agni-IV<\/span> (4,000 km range<\/span>), and Agni-V<\/span> (5,000 range<\/span>). Agni-V, intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles, capable of reaching targets as far as Europe and China.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prithvi Series<\/strong><\/td>\nDeveloped by DRDO<\/span>, the Prithvi series comprises short-range ballistic missiles designed for tactical use. These missiles, including Prithvi I<\/span> (150 km range<\/span>) and Prithvi II<\/span> (250-350 km range<\/span>), can carry both conventional and<\/span> nuclear warheads<\/span>, providing India with a flexible deterrence option against regional threats.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shaurya<\/strong><\/td>\nShaurya is a land-based hypersonic missile<\/span> developed by India, designed to deliver nuclear payloads with precision at hypersonic speeds<\/span>. Its range is around 700-1,000 km<\/span>, enhancing India’s deterrence capabilities by introducing a fast and maneuverable delivery system.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sea Based Deterrence<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
INS Arihant<\/strong><\/td>\nIndia\u2019s first indigenous Ballistic Missile Submarine<\/span> (SSBN). There has been test-firing of nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the Arihant in October 2022. This has added to India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S-4<\/strong><\/td>\nIt is India\u2019s third indigenous<\/span> nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) after INS Arihant<\/span> and Arighat<\/span>. The S-4 submarine is bigger than the INS Arihant and Arighat, with more space<\/span> for nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Based Deterrence<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rafale aircraft<\/strong><\/td>\nThe induction of the Rafale aircraft has provided the Indian Air Force with a sophisticated aircraft with nuclear-warhead-carrying capability.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What is the Significance of Agni V missile?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1)\u00a0Enhanced nuclear deterrence against adversaries like China-<\/strong> Agni-category missiles form the backbone of India\u2019s land-based nuclear deterrence. The missile is the core of the India’s deterrence in the larger context of the Sino-Indian power equation<\/span>. For ex-<\/strong> China’s Hong qi\u00a0(HQ-19) ground-based ballistic missile interceptors<\/span>, cannot intercept MIRV Capable Agni-V carrying multiple nuclear warheads.<\/p>\n

2) Enhanced Nuclear retaliation to first strike-<\/strong> Agni-V helps us develop the credible nuclear retaliation after the first strike<\/span>, as India\u2019s nuclear doctrine commits to \u201cno first use\u201d. This retaliation with the help of MIRV capable Agni-V would inflict maximum damage<\/span> to the other warring side.<\/p>\n

3) Intercontinental Range Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Club- <\/strong>Agni-V’s range of 5,000km (about 3106.86 mi) can bring the farthest parts of China and even some of Europe<\/span> within India\u2019s strike radius. The development of this rocket has put India in the nations developing Intercontinental Range Ballistic Missile with increased ranges.<\/p>\n

4) Boost to India’s defence capabilities<\/strong>-India\u2019s defence arsenal has received a significant boost with Agni-V induction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More- Agni-5 trial: A blast-off for superior deterrence<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What are the Challenges to India’s development of deterrence capabilities?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1) Inadequate nuclear testing facilities-<\/strong> The lack of sufficient testing undermines<\/span> the extent to which the re-entry vehicles could be designed to carry the warheads<\/span>.<\/p>\n

2) Opacity surrounding the warhead numbers-<\/strong> There is opacity around the number of warheads Agni-V, can carry due to its classified nature. However, specialists suspect that it at present, it can carry at most only three warheads<\/span>.<\/p>\n

3) Low yield of the nuclear Warheads-<\/strong> There are concerns that the yield of the nuclear warheads will be limited<\/span> due to the small number of atomic tests conducted by India.<\/p>\n

4) Problems with Sea based nuclear deterrence-<\/strong> There are problems of deep-sea communications with SSBN<\/span> because the very low-frequency systems in use on the submarine are prone to disruption at great depths.<\/p>\n

5) Swift Expansion of Chinese Nuclear Arsenals-<\/strong> Beijing has been making brisk advancements<\/span> with its missile and missile defence programmes.<\/p>\n

<\/a>What Should be the Way Forward?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Early testing of long-range Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)-<\/strong> India must add punch to its nuclear arsenal by testing its long-range Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)<\/span> which can be launched by its nuclear submarines<\/span>.<\/p>\n

2. Investment in Missile Defence Systems-<\/strong> To counter the growing threat from China\u2019s modernizing nuclear arsenal, India should invest in developing and deploying advanced missile defence systems, like expediting development of Agni VI<\/span>.<\/p>\n

3. Strengthening of Conventional Capabilities-<\/strong> While maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent, India should also focus on strengthening its conventional military capabilities<\/span>. This can help deter conventional conflicts that may escalate to the nuclear level.<\/p>\n

4. Cooperation with Allies-<\/strong> India should continue to cooperate with its allies and partners, such as the United States<\/span>, to deter potential aggressors. This could involve sharing intelligence<\/span>, conducting joint military exercises<\/span>, and coordinating on defence strategies<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More- The Hindu<\/a>
\nUPSC Syllabus- GS 3- India’s achievement in Science and Tech
\nGS 2- India and its neighbourhood relations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The successful test of Agni-V ballistic missile dubbed as Mission ‘Divyastra‘ is a watershed moment in the development of India’s Nuclear Deterrence capabilities. Agni-V’s impressive range of 5000 kms and enhanced potency due to Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs), has bolstered India’s nuclear Deterrence. Table of Content What is Nuclear Deterrence? Where does it… Continue reading India’s Nuclear Deterrence and Agni-V- Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10357,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-287506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10357"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287506\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}