Agni V Missile test launch

[LETHALFORCE]

Indian military makes strategic stride with the Agni-V | Asia | DW.DE | 19.04.2012

Indian military makes strategic stride with the Agni-V

India has made history with the successful testing of its much awaited Agni-V long-range ballistic nuclear-capable missile, nicknamed the 'China killer,' that can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away.
Thursday's launch from a test range at Wheeler Island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha thrusts the emerging Asian power into a small club of nations with intercontinental nuclear weapons capabilities. The three stage, all solid fuel powered and17-meter missile blasted off according to the script at 8.07 am.
Landmark for India's missile technology
With this major leap in its strategic capability, India joined an elite missile club of the US, Russia, France and China, which produce Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).
Scientists and strategists welcomed the successful trial of Agni-V where it can reach targets anywhere except for America and Australia.
"It is a necessary and natural progression of a country's defense. In a couple of years we will launch a missile of hitting targets 7,000 kilometers away. And more importantly it shores up our deterrence mechanism," Dr G Balachandran of the Institute of Defence Analyses and Studies told DW.

Indian experts say the Agni-V puts the Indian military nearly on par with China's
Former Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said the testing would give a huge edge to the country as far as its nuclear capability is concerned.
Deterrent capability against China
While the shorter-range Agni-I and II were mainly developed with traditional rival Pakistan in mind, later versions with a range of 3,500 kilometers are perceived as China deterrents.
"The launch proves that we have a demonstrable deterrence available in the country. It is a landmark achievement as far as our missile technology of the country is concerned," Major told DW.
Strategic analyst C. Raja Mohan also maintained that the Agni-V's launch would bring India to a measure of strategic equality with the Chinese in the nuclear field.
However, China's Deng Fong-31A Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) has a range of 11,500 km and can effortlessly hit any target on the Asian continent and even reach targets in Russia and most parts of Eastern Europe.
Major milestone
Giving details of the launch, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief, V. K Saraswat said that the missile launch demonstrated India had the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class.
"We are going to conduct two more tests and those will be validation tests ... and then the production of this system will start. It is going to take a year maximum," he said.
Saraswat also mentioned that he expected the missile to be inducted into the armed forces in the next two years.

The Agni-IV was launched in November, 2011
Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister AK Antony congratulated the team for "the immaculate success" of the Agni-V, hailing the efforts of the scientists of DRDO who have worked together persistently for years to bring the nation to this threshold.
DRDO officials pointed out that the Agni-V success was the culmination of 30 years of work and was built at a reported cost of 25 billion rupees (486 million US dollars). The launch was scheduled the previous day but was cancelled due to bad weather and heavy lightning in the test range.
The Agni-V can carry a one-ton nuclear warhead or even multiple warheads which can be guided to separate targets independently.
India maintains a "no-first-strike" nuclear weapons policy; Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are thus meant as deterrents against a nuclear attack from its enemies.

GERMAN REACTION

 

[trackwhack]

'India's Full Membership in Export Control Regimes, Next Logical Step'

'India's Full Membership in Export Control Regimes, Next Logical Step'


New Delhi, Apr 19 (IANS): India Wednesday pitched for simultaneous full membership of the four global export control regimes as "the logical conclusion" of its partnership with these regimes and its member-nations.

India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told a national seminar on strategic export control jointly organised by the ministry of external affairs and the Institute of Defence Analyses (IDSA) here that the country views a strong and effective national export control system as an essential link between its broader national security goals and wider foreign policy objectives.

Advocating "full membership" for India in the four export control regimes -- the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Australia Group (AG), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) -- for which it has already expressed interest, Mathai said, "While we wish to move forward in tandem on all the four regimes, our engagement with NSG is seen by observers as the most important. The logical conclusion of partnership with India is its full membership of the four multilateral regimes."

Buttressing the point, Mathai noted, "India's impeccable non-proliferation record has been widely recognised and was reflected in the milestone NSG decision of September 2008 on Civil Nuclear Cooperation with India."

India has consistent record of implementation of its voluntary commitments and has made progress since September 2008 in the implementation of the Civil Nuclear Initiative, he asserted.

Explaining the rationale for export control, Mathai said, "just as export controls are vital for national security and global non-proliferation objectives, they are also essential for the pursuit of growth and national development by harnessing the benefits of globalization."

As India's integration with global trade patterns and supply chains deepens, it would increasingly become an important hub of manufacturing and export of high technology items, he added.

India's export control framework is based on nine legislations and are in line with the highest international standards. India has also increased engagement with various countries and its participation in international and regional export control seminars and conferences.

In terms of implementation, an inter-ministerial working group, coordinated by the directorate general of foreign trade, administers the SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Material, Equipment and Technology) regulations, which outline the procedure, process and factors relating to the licensing of controlled items that are possibly of both civil and military use.

India's national enforcement mechanisms cover prevention, detection and penalisation of unauthorized exports. Customs and other enforcement agencies are active participants in these efforts. These activities are coordinated through an inter-agency core group, which meets periodically to review these issues.


NPT,MCTR,FMCT all on the line now

The minute they let us in, all of these four entities lose all credibility. I will be a proud Indian. Most of these were setup to contain and deny us, it is only logical that we dismantle them, one piece at a time.

 

[A chauhan]

Missiles of the world: A look at each country's arsenals

Published: Thursday, Apr 19, 2012, 19:56 IST
Place: New Delhi | Agency: IANS

Before India entered into the elite club with the Thursday launch of Agni-V missile, only five countries - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - had the capability to launch nuclear capable long range missiles.

Following is the list of countries with their arsenal.

Russia
R24, RSM-56 Bulava
RS-24 is the future of Russian nuclear deterrence. Since it has just entered operations after put in service in early 2011, little is known with certainty about it. However, some sources say it has a range of 10,500 km.

RS-24 is said to be an improved version of the RT-2UTTH Topol-M, which has a similar range with a mass at launch of about 47,200 kg, including the 1,200 kgs of payload.The missile can carry four to six warheads.

Russia is also developing another missile that is said to be future cornerstone of the country's nuclear triad. RSM-56 Bulava is a submarine-launched ballistic missile under development. It can carry 10 warheads with a yield of 150 kilo tonnes each and has an operational range of 8,000 to 10,000 kms

US
Minuteman III, Trident D-5
The crux of the American nuclear deterrent is believed to be Minuteman III. It has a maximum range of 13,000 km. It is 18.2 m long and a launch weight of nearly 34,500 kg. The US has 500 Minuteman III operational missiles having their lives extended until 2020, when the Minuteman IV is expected to replace them.

The US also has a submarine-launched ballistic missile named Trident D-5 that has a maximum range of 12,000 km and has a payload as large as 2,800 kg..

The Trident E-6 is the next-generation US submarine-launched ballistic missile which will be an improved version of Trident D-5 with more advanced technology. It is planned to replace the Trident D-5 in 2030.

China
DF-5A, JL-2
China's deep military strength is a closely guarded secret even as Beijing claims it possesses the smallest nuclear arsenal among the five major nuclear countries.

It is believed that China's main inter-continental ballistic missile is the DF-5A that has a range of about 13,000 km. It delivers a payload of 3,200 kg that can be equipped with one to three million tonnes yield nuclear warhead.

There is also a submarine launched missile called the JL-2 that is said to have a range of about 8,000 km and is capable of multiple targeted warheads...

full article : Missiles of the world: A look at each country's arsenals - World - DNA

 

[sayareakd]

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[Yusuf]

The minute they let us in, all of these four entities lose all credibility. I will be a proud Indian. Most of these were setup to contain and deny us, it is only logical that we dismantle them, one piece at a time.

No they won't lose credibility but will enhance it with our presence.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

A-US ComInt: Latest news of Agni V test may be unremarkable.

Latest news of Agni V test may be unremarkable.



The inner circle (above) represents Agni II's range, middle Agni III's extended range and outer (probably) Agni V's extended range.
-
Today news was released of an Agni V IRBM test on a short flight basis. The short flight nature of the test means that it is theoretically indicative rather than providing a full test of materials and other complete test measures.

The news may not be as remarkable as officially intended as it symbolically relies greatly on the tested Agni series numerically increasing to 'V'. The Agni V is probably not an ICBM because the Agni V with a standard 3 MIRV (1,500 kg) warload (most probably) cannot at present reach another continent. With just (probably strategically unviable) one (500 kg) thermonuclear warhead though an Agni V might reach central Europe, all of China, Japan and the possible future nuclear power, Egypt.

Agni V is specifically designed to have the range to strike all of China. The vulnerability of Agni V, a large, semi-mobile, land based missile suggests a first strike mission with second strike relying on future Indian SLBMs in indigenous SSBNs.

Today's news of another Agni V launch may therefore be unremarkable international 'news' but it does justify the high expense of missile development in the minds of the Indian Government and people. It is a genuine source of pride in India, fear in Pakistan and concern in China.

The inner circle (above) represents Agni I's range, middle Agni III's extended range and outer (probably) Agni V's extended range. Shorter range Prithvi and Agni I and II missiles will encompass Pakistan but Agni III+ are needed to reach most or all of China. It is the proposed Surya missile class that will be a true ICBM capable of reaching all other nuclear powers (and Australia).




The Times of India, April 19, 2012 reported :

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani websites prominently displayed the news of India successfully testing the Agni-V minutes after the long-range nuclear capable ballistic missile was launched.

India Thursday test-fired the Agni-V missile that can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away. With this launch, India entered an exclusive club of nations that have this capability.

The News International carried an agency story with the headline "India successfully tests Agni-V missile". An accompanying photograph was of an Agni missile that was showcased during a Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

Pakistan's leading daily Dawn ran an agency story "India tests long-range nuclear-capable missile: source". The story cited a defence source as saying that missile was capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China...

australian reaction

 

[Rahul92]

Guys you must see these western reactions you will die out of laugh

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Agni-V test: China reacts cautiously; says India not rival

Agni-V test: China reacts cautiously; says India not rival

Reacting cautiously to India's test of Agni-V missile, China today said the two countries are not rivals and enjoy "sound" relations though the sources in the Chinese establishment feel that the launch can give rise to another round of arms race in the region.

"China has taken note of reports on India's missile launch. The two countries have sound relationship.

"During the (recently held) BRICS meeting (in Delhi) the leadership had consensus to take the relationship further and to push forward bilateral strategic cooperative partnership," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a media briefing in Beijing when asked about the launch.

In Delhi, the diplomatic sources in the Chinese embassy said the "Agni-V launch can give rise to another round of arms race in this part of the world."

They were also critical of the media commentary on the successful launch of the nuclear capable 5000 km-range Agni-V missile, saying it sounded provocative.

Asked whether China was concerned as most of the country would come under the Agni's range, Liu said in Beijing that "both the countries are emerging powers. We are not rivals. We are cooperative partners. We should cherish the hard earned momentum of cooperation."

To another question whether it would affect the regional stability, he said "we hope Asian countries can contribute to peace and stability."

However, China's state-run Global Times came out with a strong editorial criticising the launch, claiming that the Chinese nuclear power is more "stronger and reliable" and New Delhi has "no chance" to catch up."India should not overestimate its strength. Even if ithas missiles that could reach most parts of China, that does not mean it will gain anything from being arrogant during disputes with China," Global Times, the influential tabloid of China's ruling Communist Party, said in its editorial.

Known for its scathing attacks on countries that have disputes with China, the daily said "India should be clear that China's nuclear power is stronger and more reliable."

"For the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance," it said in the editorial titled "India being swept away by military delusion."

"India should also not overstate the value of its Western allies and the profits it could gain from participating in a containment of China. If it equates long-range strategic missiles with deterrence of China, and stirs up further hostility, it could be sorely mistaken," it said.

The paper noted that India has moved rapidly in developing missile technology.

"It successfully launched the Agni IV with a range of 3,500 km last year. Indian public opinion has long seen China as its reference point for military development.

"It seems India's path for boosting its military strength has not met too many obstacles. India is still poor and lags behind in infrastructure construction, but its society is highly supportive of developing nuclear power and the West chooses to overlook India's disregard of nuclear and missile control treaties," the editorial charged.

The West remains "silent on the fact that India's military spending increased by 17 per cent in 2012 and the country has again become the largest weapons importer in the world," it said, without referring to China's own whopping defence budget of USD 106 billion listed for this year.

The Global Times editorial, however, said "China and India should develop as friendly a relationship as possible. Even if this cannot be achieved, the two should at least tolerate each other and learn to co-exist."

"Their status as newly emerging countries shows the two should cooperate on the international stage. It would be unwise for China and India to seek a balance of power by developing missiles," it said.

"The geopolitics of Asia will become more dependent on the nature of Sino-Indian relations. The peace and stability of the region are crucial to both countries. China and India should both take responsibility for maintaining this peace and stability and be wary of external intervention," it said.

China understands the Indian desire to catch up with China, the daily said. "China, as the most appropriate strategic target for India, is willing to take India as a peaceful competitor."

"Due to historical reasons, China and India are sensitive toward each other. But objectively speaking, China does not spend much time guarding against India, while India focuses a lot of attention on China. China hopes India will remain calm, as this would be beneficial to both giants," it said.

5,000-km Agni-V missile propels India into elite club

India Thursday stormed into an elite club of nations with the capability to hit targets 5,000 km away, with the successful test of the much-anticipated Agni-V long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, described as "China killer".

With its launch from Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast at 8.07 a.m., India also emerged as a major missile powerhouse of the world, having developed Agni-V almost entirely indigenously over the last four years.

"The three-stage Agni-V missile's entire performance has been successfully demonstrated. All mission objectives and operational targets have been met," India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V.K. Saraswat told reporters at the test site.

"India is today a nation with proven capability to design, develop and produce a long-range ballistic missile. India is a missile power now," a jubilant Saraswat said.

"It was a fantastic launch. It hit the target with high accuracy," S.P. Dash, the director of the test range, told IANS.

During the Thursday test, the 17.5-metre long Agni-V reached an altitude of 600 km and attained a velocity of 7,000 metres per second, which enabled the missile to achieve its intended target range.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the successful Agni-V long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile test as "another milestone" in the country's "quest for security, preparedness and to explore the frontiers of science".

"I congratulate all the scientific and technical personnel of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and other organisations who have worked tirelessly in our endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of our country," Manmohan Singh said in his message to Saraswat.

"Today's (Thursday's) successful Agni-V test launch represents another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science. The nation stands together in honouring the scientific community," he said.

But the Agni-V test received an adverse reaction from China, where state-run Global Times said in an article on its op-ed section that India may have missiles that can reach most Chinese territory, but it stands "no chance in an overall arms race".

It added that New Delhi would gain nothing by stirring "further hostility".

The article, "India being swept up by missile delusion", said India apparently is hoping to enter the global intercontinental missile club, despite intercontinental missiles normally having a range of over 8,000 km.

Soon after DRDO announced the success of Agni-V, India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony spoke to Saraswat and Agni-V Project Director Avinash Chander and congratulated them for "this immaculate success", defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.

Antony described the development as a major milestone in the country's missile programme and said "the nation is indeed proud" of its defence scientists. He also recalled "the untiring contributions" of former DRDO chief M. Natarajan.

Only the US, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom have missiles in their arsenal that can hit targets 5,000 km and beyond.

At best, Thursday's test of Agni-V is only a demonstration of India's capability to launch an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Agni-V's range is 500-km short of an ICBM. According to the website of American Federation of American Scientists and Britannica.com, the range of an ICBM is 5,500 km and above.

In fact, Saraswat himself has clarified in November 2011 that India was "not developing" an ICBM and that Agni-V is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).

"We are not developing any ICBM. Our threat perception today is not requiring development of any ICBM," he said then.

"Agni-V will take us to a level of 5,000-km plus class of missile systems which meets all our threat requirements," he said then, noting that the technology for IRBM and ICBM is the same.

China's Deng Fong-31A Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) has a range of 11,500 km and can easily hit the entire Asia and reach targets in Russia and most part of eastern Europe.

Following Thursday's test, Agni-V will go through more tests before it is inducted into the armed forces by the end of 2014 or early 2015.

But this missile provides India the capability to hit targets deep inside China and the entire Pakistan territory.

India maintains a 'no-first-strike' nuclear weapons policy and Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are deterrents against a nuclear attack from its enemies.

India test-fires Agni V missile successfully

India today took a giant leap in fortifying its strategic capability by successfully test-firing its nuclear capable Agni-V Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a strike range of 5,000 km, bringing China and the neighbouring region under its cover.

With this, India joined the elite missile club of the US, Russia, France and China. The surface-to-surface Agni-V is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km away. It is about 17-metres-long and two-metres-wide with launch weight of around 50 tonnes. The sophisticated missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.

"We had a successful launch of Agni-V. The missile lifted off at 8.07 hours today," Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat said after the three-stage solid propellant missile was test fired from launch complex-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.

Agni-V had a smooth and perfect vertical lift-off from the launcher and a thorough analysis was done to assess its health parameters after retrieval of data from the wide range of sophisticated communication network systems, Saraswat said.

"The sleek missile, within a few seconds of its blast-off from the Island launch pad roared majestically into the sky leaving behind its a trajectory a trail of thin orange and white smoke before disappearing," a defence official said.

The test-fire, which was originally scheduled to be held yesterday, had to be deferred at the last moment for safety reasons due to bad weather marked by rains and heavy lightning.

New Delhi's deterrence capability will now be further strengthened and it will push its case for having a greater say at multilateral fora.

India has at present in its armoury of Agni series, Agni 1 with 700 km range, Agni 2 with 2,000 km range, Agni 3 and Agni 4 with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 km range.

Hailing the successful launch of the indigenously developed missile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it represents another milestone in India's quest to add to its security preparedness.

Defence Minister A K Antony described the maiden test flight of Agni-V as an "immaculate success" and a "major milestone"."The nation stands tall today. We have joined the eliteclub of nations (to possess the ICBM capability)," Antony told Saraswat on phone after the test flight of the missile was declared successful.

ITR Director S P Dass said, "It was a perfect launch and the missile hit the pre-determined target and the mission met all its parameters.

"We can call it an ICBM as it has the capability to travel from one continent to another," Dass said.

"The missile achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve in this mission. This missile from the prime board to launch pad has happened in about three years," the missile's Programme Director Avinash Chandra said.

The test-firing of Agni-V demonstrated giant strides taken by India in its integrated missile development programme, he said.

Preparation for Agni-V test had gathered momentum after India achieved successful results from the first development trial of Agni IV, which has a strike range of more than 3,500 km, from the same launch pad on November 15, 2011.

Apart from Saraswat, who is also the scientific advisor to the Defence Minister, a host of top defence scientists, military officials and functionaries of concerned agencies were present at the site to monitor, supervise and witness the maiden test of the new generation missile.

Top scientists present at the test site said at least 20 laboratories of the DRDO were engaged for several months to prepare the state-of-the-art missile.

About 800 scientists, staff and support personnel had been engaged to make the first ever launch of the Agni-V a success, they said.

Unlike other missiles of indigenously built Agni series, the latest one - Agni V - is the most advanced version having several new technologies incorporated in it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine, said a scientist associated with the project.

Satish Reddy, architect of the missile navigationsystems, said, "The systems have worked with high accuracy... We don't require any more technology from anybody else.

DRDO plans to conduct more such tests of the missile over the next one year after studying and analysing the parameters achieved in each subsequent trial, defence sources said.

Regarding the timeline fixed for fully developing the Agni V, Saraswat had earlier said another year of testing would be required.

Known as 'Agni Lady', an elated Katy Thomas, who has been involved with the Agni project, said, "Today we have done a great event for the country. The mission was perfect with all the events being recorded and we had a perfect separation. The stages of guidance system worked wonderfully.

"All the teamwork which has gone in for the last three years has given fruitful result today," she added.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India test-fires 5,000 km Agni-V missile, China cautious

India test-fires 5,000 km Agni-V missile, China cautious

Launching itself into an elite club of nations with the capability of hitting targets 5,000 km away, India Thursday successfully tested a long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile that can reach Beijing and Shanghai in China, and all of Pakistan.

With its launch from Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast at 8.07 a.m., India also emerged as a major missile powerhouse of the world, having developed Agni-V almost entirely indigenously over the last four years. The missile, described as "China-killer", carries a warhead weighing more than a tonne.

With the development, India also stormed into an elite, exclusive club of nations comprising US, Russia, China, France and Britain -- all UN Security Council members -- that have this capability.

Reaction came in swiftly from China, where foreign ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin downplayed the tests, saying: "China and India are both big emerging countries, we are not rivals but co-operation partners."

However, state-run Global Times was not so cautious and said that India may have missiles that can reach most Chinese territory, but it stands "no chance in an overall arms race". It added that New Delhi would gain nothing by stirring "further hostility".

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the successful test as "another milestone" in the country's "quest for security, preparedness and to explore the frontiers of science".

He congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other organisations, which had worked tirelessly in the endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of the country.

At the test site, there was jubilation.

"The three-stage Agni-V missile's entire performance has been successfully demonstrated. All mission objectives and operational targets have been met," DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat told reporters.

"India is today a nation with proven capability to design, develop and produce a long-range ballistic missile. India is a missile power now," an exultant Saraswat said.

"It was a fantastic launch. It hit the target with high accuracy," S.P. Dash, the director of the test range, told IANS.

During the Thursday test, the 17.5-metre long, 50-tonne Agni-V reached an altitude of 600 km and attained a velocity of 7,000 metres per second, which enabled the missile to achieve its intended target range. The missile system can be transported by road or rail.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony spoke to Saraswat and Agni-V Project Director Avinash Chander and congratulated them for "this immaculate success", defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.

Antony also recalled "the untiring contributions" of former DRDO chief M. Natarajan.

It was a moment that also saw the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hail the "proud milestone in the security of the nation since India has now become a missile power".
The party's president Nitin Gadkari said in a statement that the launch had raised India to the "elite club of nations".

The Indian defence ministry had first described Agni-V as an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a statement, but soon retracted it and called the missile a long range ballistic missile (LRBM).

Agni-V's range is 500-km short of an ICBM, for which the world standard is 5,500-km range.
China's Dongfeng-31A ICBM has a range of 11,500 km and can easily hit targets across entire Asia and as far as eastern Europe.

Following Thursday's test, Agni-V will go through more tests before it is inducted into the armed forces by the end of 2014 or early 2015.

India maintains a 'no-first-strike' nuclear doctrine, and Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are to provide the country's strategic forces 'a second strike' capability against a nuclear attack from its enemies.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/w...ssfully-tests-nuclear-capable-missile.html?hp

India Extends Missile Range, Raising Fear of Arms Race


NEW DELHI — India said Thursday that it had successfully launched a missile with nuclear capability and a range of 3,100 miles, giving it the ability to strike Beijing and Shanghai and heightening fears of an Asian arms race.

with the launching of the missile, called the Agni 5, India joins a small group of countries with long-range nuclear missile capability, including China, Britain, France, Russia, Israel and the United States. Agni is the Hindi word for fire.

The launching comes amid growing international apprehension about the militarization of Asia and a stepped-up strategic rivalry there between the United States and China. In March, Beijing announced a double-digit increase in military spending, and India recently became the world's top arms buyer, displacing China, in part because China has increased it domestic production of weapons. And on Thursday, South Korea tested a missile capable of hitting anywhere in North Korea, less than a week after North Korea launched a rocket that failed minutes after takeoff.

The missile launching in India "increases the perception of an arms race, and the reality of an arms race, in East Asia, particularly between China and India," said Graeme P. Herd, head of the international security program at the Geneva Center for Security Policy, which trains diplomats on peace and security issues.

The timing may be seen as particularly provocative, he said, coming as China's government deals with a scandal involving one of its top officials and after the United States has stepped up its military presence in the Pacific. "All of this, from the Chinese perspective, looks like a movement from balancing China to containing China," Mr. Herd said, and could inspire Beijing to strengthen its weapons stockpile and forge closer ties with Pakistan and the Central Asian countries.

The launching was largely celebrated in India, where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it "another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science." The entire nation honors the scientists involved, he said, who have "done the country proud."

The Indian defense minister, A. K. Antony, said India had "joined the elite club of nations" that possess long-range missiles.

The United States, which led the criticism of North Korea last Friday, appeared to warily endorse India's missile launching. "We urge all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding nuclear capabilities," said Mark C. Toner, a State Department spokesman. "That said, India has a solid nonproliferation record." India has a "no-first-use" policy.

China's immediate reaction was subdued. At a regularly scheduled news briefing, Liu Weimin, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that India and China were "not competitors, but partners," according to news agencies. The two countries should "work hard to uphold friendly strategic cooperation" for peace and stability in the region, he said.

The missile "does not pose a threat in reality," China's state-run broadcaster CCTV said, according to The Associated Press. The news channel questioned the accuracy of the missile's guidance systems and its 50-ton-plus weight, which the Chinese said would force it to be launched from a fixed location, making it an easy target. India said the missile can be launched from a mobile platform.

Officials in Pakistan, India's nuclear-armed neighbor and historic rival, did not return calls for comment. The countries have recently increased trade ties, raising hopes that the longstanding tensions between the two may be ending.

The Indian missile's range would include Tehran, parts of Eastern Europe and Manila. But the focus of the test appeared to be China, analysts said.

"Agni 5 will give India complete coverage of targets in China," Poornima Subramaniam, an Asia-Pacific armed forces analyst at IHS Jane's Defense, said in an e-mail. "Agni 5 technologically narrows the missile gap between India and China, while the strategic balance between the two rivals is still tipped in China's favor."

The launching of the Agni 5, from an island off India's east coast, is part of a missile program that began decades ago.

India started its missile development program in 1983. It has suffered occasional setbacks, but last November, it tested the Agni 4, which can hit targets up to 2,200 miles away. It will soon be given to the army for operational use; the Agni 1, Agni 2 and Agni 3 were also given to the army.

The Agni 5 weighs about 50 tons and is 51 feet long. It reached an altitude of about 430 miles in this test, the Indian government said. The Agni 5 will be ready for operational use by 2014.

"We have achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve in this mission," Avinash Chandra, mission director for the test, told the Times Now news channel on Thursday.

China has a missile that can hit targets at least 6,200 miles away, and Pakistan's missile range is at least 744 miles. "India has two nuclear-armed adversaries and needs to create minimal deterrence," said Wing Cmdr. Ajey Lele, a specialist in strategic technologies at the government-financed Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi.

Some in India questioned spending so much on a sophisticated missile program as hundreds of millions of the country's citizens continue to live in extreme poverty.

"It is ridiculous," said Praful Bidwai, a researcher and columnist associated with the Coalition of Nuclear Disarmament and Peace. "We are getting into a useless arms race at the expense of fulfilling the need of poor people."

The Chinese missile program is not directed at India, and the Chinese have assured India of that, he said, adding, "Now, the India missile program is clearly directed to China."

 

[Rahul92]

Guys you must see these western reactions you will die out of laugh

See some of the comments from BBC

Presumably sanctions will now be put in place against India, just like North Korea. Or maybe we can just invade, like we did in Iraq when they allegedly had weapons of . No? I wonder why not - something to do with what gives the greatest profit, perhaps.

India's argument for developing a space program and a nuclear weapons programme is credible. They want to become a first world country with a first world industry. So far so good. But the distribution of government taxes in India should be up to the Indian voters. Unfortunately the UK voters do not have a say in the distribution of UK tax money as all parties support further aid to India.

So India can have long range weapons and that is OK but Iran is not allowed to have them??

This is first class news,glad to see that British taxpayers money is being spent on Indian WMD,and not being wasted.
British OAPs may be losing their tax breaks,but they can always put another jumper on to keep warm,even if they can't afford a nice hot pasty

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Australian article says it is a 3 warhead MIRV? anyone have conformation of this?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India Successfully Tests Long-Range Missile. China Unimpressed | Global Spin | TIME.com

India Successfully Tests Long-Range Missile. China Unimpressed


India successfully launched its first domestically developed long-range intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday morning, joining a handful of nations that possess ICBM technology. The Agni V missile, capable of carrying a one-ton nuclear warhead, was launched this morning from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the state of Orissa, after a bad-weather delay yesterday.

The Agni V was launched just after 8:00 a.m. local time and flew for 20 minutes before hitting its designated target in the Indian Ocean. Officials were thrilled with the smooth operation. "With this missile launch, India has emerged as a major missile power," V. K. Sarawat, an advisor in Ministry of Defense, told The Hindu this morning. "We have joined a select group of countries possessing technology to design, develop, build and manufacture long range missiles of this class and technological complexity."

Today's test is part of India's efforts at nuclear deterrence in the region, a defense strategy widely interpreted as a response to China's military buildup and ongoing tensions with Pakistan. New Delhi has been beefing up its military might, but even with a 17% hike this year in the defense budget, the roughly 2% of GDP that India spends on its military pales compared with what its regional neighbors shell out each year. The Agni V, which has a range of 3,100 miles (5,000 km), is capable of striking major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai, though Indian officials say the military's focus on developing deterrent technology is not "country specific."

(PHOTOS: India Celebrates Its 63rd Republic Day)

China openly dismissed the importance of the test, responding in an article in the state's official English-language web site, the Global Times, that warns its neighbor not to overestimate "its strength" or "the value of its Western allies." It goes onto say: "Even if it has missiles that could reach most parts of China, that does not mean it will gain anything from being arrogant during disputes with China. India should be clear that China's nuclear power is stronger and more reliable. For the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance in an overall arms race with China."

Europe, parts of which are also within range of the Agni V, was less emphatic. At a briefing in Brussels on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, "We do not consider India a threat to NATO allies or NATO territory."

(MORE: India Gets Ready to Test Long-Range Ballistic Missile)

Only a handful of nations, including China, the U.S., the U.K., France and Russia, have intercontinental ballistic missiles in their arsenal. India has been working on its own missile program since 1983. In November, the Defense Research and Development Organization, the body developing the Agni family of missiles, successfully launched the Agni IV with a range of 2,200 miles (3,500 km). The Agni V, which stands at over 57 ft. (17.5 m) tall and weighs 50 tons, is designed to carry a one ton warhead, and is expected to be operation by 2014 or 2015, pending further tests.

Amid the back-patting in this morning's headlines, some in India were also cautioning officials not to get ahead of themselves. "As and when Agni V moves from technological proficiency to assured, credible and proven operational induction — maybe by 2014 — India will move towards acquiring that elusive mutuality it seeks with China," C. Uday Bhaskar, former director of the New Delhi–based National Maritime Foundation, wrote yesterday in the daily DNA. "More generous claims or exaggerated interpretation about what the maiden launch of the Agni V implies would be premature and imprudent."



Read more: India Successfully Tests Long-Range Missile. China Unimpressed | Global Spin | TIME.com

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Manmohan Singh hails test firing of Agni-V

Manmohan Singh hails test firing of Agni-V


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today hailed the test firing of Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-V saying that this represented another milestone in India's quest to add to the credibility of its security and preparedness.

Soon after the launch of Agni-V, he congratulated the scientists who had worked tirelessly and called up DRDO chief VK Saraswat in this regard.

"Today's successful Agni-V test launch represents another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science," he added.

"I congratulate all the scientific and technical personnel of the DRDO and other organisations who have worked tirelessly in our endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of our country," the Prime Minister said in his message.

The nation stands together in honouring the scientific community, the Prime

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India swept by missile delusion: Chinese media

India swept by missile delusion: Chinese media

 

[Rahul92]

I am stunned by this. We hand out aid to India when they have a space programme, missile programme, nuclear programme and theres so much starvation in their own country.........They choose to waste the money on this!!!
















Then..........we want to do away with free school meals for our own children.

The worlds gone mad.

What India does with it's money is their business. When we give them aid however it becomes ours.

We need to stop giving them aid if this is where their priorities lie, just as the Americans do with North Korea.

After all the condemnation of North Korea last week , I hope we will see some condemnation of India for this test .

--

I hardly think democratic India which is an open and trusted member of the international community is on par with North Korea or their partner in crime Iran.

Lets see: So the Indian government have aircrafter carriers for their military UK cannot afford, have an advanced space program that orbits satalites that UK cannot afford, The Indian economy is growing at 10% a year while UK is contracting, and we are STILL sending them aid when they are more interested in ballistic missiles? Our youth are unemployed, stop sending money to a growing Asia!

Lol such a typical hypocrites

 

[LETHALFORCE]

China-Russia war games 'not linked to India missile'

China-Russia war games 'not linked to India missile'

BEIJING - China said Thursday upcoming joint war games between China and Russia were not organised in response to India's successful ballistic missile launch and were instead aimed at upholding regional peace.

According to China's defence ministry, the two neighbours will hold joint naval exercises in the Yellow Sea off the coast of the eastern port city of Qingdao from April 22-27.

The war games come after India successfully test fired a new missile Thursday capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in rival China, marking a major advance in its defence capabilities.

India views the rocket, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles), as a key boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows – albeit slightly – the huge gap with China's technologically advanced missile systems.

"This joint military exercise is a long scheduled one between China and Russia in order to uphold regional peace and stability," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters.

"This is not linked (to the Indian missile test)," he said.

Beijing and Moscow agreed to hold the joint exercises during a visit to Russia last year by Chen Bingde, chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army.

"The joint exercises will strengthen the naval forces' ability to jointly confront new regional threats and demonstrate their confidence to maintain peace and stability in the region and world," Chen said in a statement on the defence ministry website.

The drills will focus on joint maritime defence and protection of navigation and will involve 16 Chinese ships and two submarines and four vessels from Russia's Pacific Fleet, as well as Russian war planes and naval infantry, the statement said.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Chinese media slams India on Agni-V, govt talks soft - Hindustan Times

Chinese media slams India on Agni-V, govt talks soft

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Agni 5 -- going ballistic over a missile - Rediff.com India News

Agni 5 -- going ballistic over a missile

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India testfires intercontinental Agni-V ballistic missile off eastern coast - Xinhua | English.news.cn


India testfires intercontinental Agni-V ballistic missile off eastern coast