GUWAHATI: Hyderabad-based missile expert R Sheena Rani has emerged as a key figure behind India's recent milestone in defence technology, leading a team at the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) that conducted the country's first flight-test of the Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. The successful launch took place on Monday from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
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Rani, 57, served as the programme director at DRDO's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), overseeing the development of the Agni-5 missile with multiple nuclear warheads. Under her leadership, the project not only propelled India into an elite group of nations but also drew attention from neighbouring countries, particularly China, due to the missile's 5,000-km range.
As the associate director of DRDO's ASL, Rani played a pivotal role in the development of various Agni missile variants. Her journey in defence technology began in 1999 when she joined DRDO after the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, following eight years of service at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Since then, she has been dedicated to India's Agni missile programme, culminating in the successful integration of MIRV technology, considered her crowning achievement.
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Born in Thiruvananthapuram and with an engineering degree from the College of Engineering Trivandrum, Rani's expertise lies in electronics and communications engineering. Throughout her career, Rani has been recognised for her contributions, receiving accolades such as the "scientist of the year award" in 2016.