India’s recent test of the Agni-V missile, equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV) technology, marks a significant shift in South Asia’s strategic paradigm. This missile, which can deliver multiple warheads to different targets, holds the potential to alter the security calculus of the region. While India touts this advancement as a boost to its deterrence against China and Pakistan, it also raises alarms about an escalating arms race, regional stability, and the broader security landscape in South Asia.

India’s adoption of MIRV technology raises critical questions about its nuclear doctrine, especially its longstanding ‘No First Use’ (NFU) policy. The NFU policy asserts that India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict. However, the deployment of a MIRV-equipped missile could push India towards a more aggressive posture, possibly including pre-emptive strikes if it perceives an imminent threat, faces a large-scale conventional attack, or aims to disrupt an adversary’s nuclear........

© Eurasia Review