According to available details, the Oreshnik missile travels at hypersonic speed, reaching up to Mach 10, equivalent to approximately 12,300 kilometers per hour or 3.4 kilometers per second. At such velocity, distances shrink dramatically in practical terms, with the 230-kilometer aerial distance between Delhi and Chandigarh covered in about one minute, the 120-kilometer distance between Mumbai and Pune in just over half a minute, and the 270-kilometer distance between Bengaluru and Chennai in approximately 80 seconds.
The missile is further described as being capable of carrying a Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle payload, allowing a single launch to deploy multiple warheads. Each warhead can be independently directed toward the same or different targets, significantly increasing the complexity and lethality of such an attack. This capability is designed to overwhelm air defence systems by saturating them with multiple incoming threats.
Recent missile engagements in West Asia involving Iranian systems have highlighted the challenges faced by modern air defence networks. Systems such as the United States Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, Israel’s David’s Sling, and Arrow 2 have demonstrated partial interception capabilities against ballistic threats. However, the effectiveness of such systems diminishes significantly when faced with multiple warheads released from a single missile during its terminal phase, leaving extremely limited reaction time for interception.
In this context, India’s Agni-V intermediate-range ballistic missile is cited as a comparable strategic system. The missile is reported to be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 24, or nearly 30,000 kilometers per hour, approximately 8 kilometers per second, with a range of 5,500 kilometers, placing large parts of China, Europe, and Africa within reach. Its deployment is designed to enhance survivability against missile defence systems through a depressed trajectory launch profile, reducing flight time and limiting enemy response windows while enabling mid-course manoeuvres that complicate interception.
The Agni-V is a three-stage, solid-fuelled, road-mobile missile housed in canisterised systems that allow long-term storage, rapid transport, and immediate launch readiness. Its guidance systems include the Navigation with Indian Constellation system, an Inertial Navigation System, and a ring laser gyroscope. The missile is constructed using advanced materials capable of withstanding temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Celsius and is reported to carry up to ten warheads, exceeding the stated payload capacity of the Oreshnik system.
The developments underscore an accelerating global shift toward high-speed, multi-warhead ballistic missile technologies, raising significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of existing air defence systems and the evolving nature of strategic deterrence.
About The Author
.jpg)
Comment List