Rocket that could hit Shanghai
Source: Agencies |
April 20, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
India has announced the successful test launch of a new nuclear-capable missile that would give it the ability to strike the major Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing for the first time, a significant step forward in its aspirations to become a regional and world power.
The Agni-V missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers, still requires a battery of tests and must clear other bureaucratic hurdles before it can be inducted into India's arsenal. But Indian officials yesterday hailed the launch as proof the country has taken its place among the world's most powerful and scientifically advanced nations.
"The nation stands tall today," Defense Minister A.K. Antony said, according to the Press Trust of India.
A video released by the government showed the Agni-V taking off from a small launcher on what appeared to be railroad tracks at 8:07am from Wheeler Island off India's east coast. It rose on a pillar of flame, trailing billows of smoke behind, before arcing through the sky.
The missile hit an altitude of more than 600 kilometers, its three stages worked properly and its payload was deployed as planned, said the head of India's Defense Research and Development Organization, Vijay Saraswat.
"India has emerged from this launch as a major missile power," he said.
The Agni-V is a solid-fuel, three-stage missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton nuclear warhead. It stands 17.5 meters tall, has a launch weight of 50 tons and was built mainly with Indian-made technology at a reported cost of 25 billion rupees (US$486 million). It can be moved across the country by road or rail and can be used to carry multiple warheads or to launch satellites into orbit.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the launch as "another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science."
India already has the capability of hitting anywhere inside archrival Pakistan, but has engaged in a splurge of defense spending in recent years to counter the perceived "Chinese threat."
The Indian navy took command of a Russian nuclear submarine earlier this year, and India is expected to take delivery of a retrofitted Soviet-built aircraft carrier soon.
The new Agni, named for the Hindi word for fire, is part of this military buildup and was designed to hit deep inside China, defense analyst Rahul Bedi said.
The launch, flagged well in advance, has attracted none of the criticism the West showered on North Korea for its failed bid to send up a similar rocket last week. North Korea said the plan was to put a satellite into space, but the US and other countries said it was a cover for testing long-range missile technology.
India has not signed the non-proliferation treaty for nuclear nations, but enjoys a de facto legitimacy for its arsenal, boosted by a landmark 2008 deal with the United States.
On Wednesday, NATO said it did not consider India a threat. The US State Department said India's non-proliferation record was "solid," while urging restraint.
The Agni-V missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers, still requires a battery of tests and must clear other bureaucratic hurdles before it can be inducted into India's arsenal. But Indian officials yesterday hailed the launch as proof the country has taken its place among the world's most powerful and scientifically advanced nations.
"The nation stands tall today," Defense Minister A.K. Antony said, according to the Press Trust of India.
A video released by the government showed the Agni-V taking off from a small launcher on what appeared to be railroad tracks at 8:07am from Wheeler Island off India's east coast. It rose on a pillar of flame, trailing billows of smoke behind, before arcing through the sky.
The missile hit an altitude of more than 600 kilometers, its three stages worked properly and its payload was deployed as planned, said the head of India's Defense Research and Development Organization, Vijay Saraswat.
"India has emerged from this launch as a major missile power," he said.
The Agni-V is a solid-fuel, three-stage missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton nuclear warhead. It stands 17.5 meters tall, has a launch weight of 50 tons and was built mainly with Indian-made technology at a reported cost of 25 billion rupees (US$486 million). It can be moved across the country by road or rail and can be used to carry multiple warheads or to launch satellites into orbit.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the launch as "another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science."
India already has the capability of hitting anywhere inside archrival Pakistan, but has engaged in a splurge of defense spending in recent years to counter the perceived "Chinese threat."
The Indian navy took command of a Russian nuclear submarine earlier this year, and India is expected to take delivery of a retrofitted Soviet-built aircraft carrier soon.
The new Agni, named for the Hindi word for fire, is part of this military buildup and was designed to hit deep inside China, defense analyst Rahul Bedi said.
The launch, flagged well in advance, has attracted none of the criticism the West showered on North Korea for its failed bid to send up a similar rocket last week. North Korea said the plan was to put a satellite into space, but the US and other countries said it was a cover for testing long-range missile technology.
India has not signed the non-proliferation treaty for nuclear nations, but enjoys a de facto legitimacy for its arsenal, boosted by a landmark 2008 deal with the United States.
On Wednesday, NATO said it did not consider India a threat. The US State Department said India's non-proliferation record was "solid," while urging restraint.
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