Giancarlo
January 25th, 2002, 09:13
Just something to aggravate the situation a little bit more...
Image: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20020125/capt.1011944647india_missile_test_del101.jpg
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020125/wl/india_missile_test.html
NEW DELHI, India (AP) - India successfully tested a new version of its nuclear-capable, intermediate-range Agni missile - the most powerful weapon in its missile arsenal - from an island off the eastern coast Friday, officials said.
The test came amid simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, as soldiers, ballistic missiles, fighter jets and tanks face each other across the border in the nuclear rivals' biggest military standoff in decades.
The government said the test was routine, however, and did not carry any political meaning. The missile test had been planned for months, well before the border troop standoff that followed a Dec. 13 militant attack on India's Parliament, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan has denied involvement and banned the groups.
``Agni is an ongoing project. We are taking many more steps for the nation's security and protection. This is one of them,'' Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said in a broadcast message.
But Pakistan criticized the test.
``We hope the international community will take note of this Indian behavior, which is prejudicial to the pursuit of stability in our region, especially during the current situation,'' Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said. ``On its part, Pakistan favors a policy of restraint.''
The statement added: ``Pakistan has the means to defend itself.''
Pakistan's arsenal includes nuclear-capable ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 900 miles, capable of reaching most targets in India.
India's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Nirupama Rao, said the timing was determined only by technical factors.
``The flight test was not abrupt or sudden. It was a well-thought-out measure,'' Rao told The Associated Press.
``The test was conducted in a non-provocative manner and has no bearing on the situation on the India-Pakistan border. This should not aggravate any tensions on the border or between India and Pakistan.''
Rao said India informed the envoys of Pakistan, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, Britain and other European countries about the test.
The missile, a short-range version of the intermediate-range Agni-I, soared into the sky over the Bay of Bengal from Wheeler's Island off the coast of Orissa state, officials said.
Its range is 420 miles, compared with the earlier version of the Agni, which has a range of 1,500 miles.
The testing site is about 50 miles out to sea from a coastal facility where the Defense Research and Development Organization tests much of its modern defense weaponry. Agni means ``fire'' in Hindi, India's national language.
Other details on the new version were not immediately available from the testing range at Chandipur, about 750 miles southeast of New Delhi.
A leading analyst also said Friday's test was not related to current tensions with Pakistan.
``The tests depend on weather and climatic conditions. This test would have been planned four to five months ago,'' said C. Uday Bhaskar, deputy director of the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, a think tank partially funded by the government.
India's missile arsenal includes army and air force versions of the short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi; the Trishul, a surface-to-air missile that targets aircraft and can counter sea-skimming missiles; and the anti-tank Nag missile.
India, which conducted five nuclear tests in 1998, is working to perfect its missile delivery system.
India says it is developing its missile program as a deterrent against neighbors China and Pakistan. India has fought one war with China and three with Pakistan.
Earlier this month, India's army chief pledged massive retaliation if Pakistan launched a nuclear attack but said India would not use nuclear weapons first.
Image: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20020125/capt.1011944647india_missile_test_del101.jpg
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020125/wl/india_missile_test.html
NEW DELHI, India (AP) - India successfully tested a new version of its nuclear-capable, intermediate-range Agni missile - the most powerful weapon in its missile arsenal - from an island off the eastern coast Friday, officials said.
The test came amid simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, as soldiers, ballistic missiles, fighter jets and tanks face each other across the border in the nuclear rivals' biggest military standoff in decades.
The government said the test was routine, however, and did not carry any political meaning. The missile test had been planned for months, well before the border troop standoff that followed a Dec. 13 militant attack on India's Parliament, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan has denied involvement and banned the groups.
``Agni is an ongoing project. We are taking many more steps for the nation's security and protection. This is one of them,'' Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said in a broadcast message.
But Pakistan criticized the test.
``We hope the international community will take note of this Indian behavior, which is prejudicial to the pursuit of stability in our region, especially during the current situation,'' Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said. ``On its part, Pakistan favors a policy of restraint.''
The statement added: ``Pakistan has the means to defend itself.''
Pakistan's arsenal includes nuclear-capable ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 900 miles, capable of reaching most targets in India.
India's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Nirupama Rao, said the timing was determined only by technical factors.
``The flight test was not abrupt or sudden. It was a well-thought-out measure,'' Rao told The Associated Press.
``The test was conducted in a non-provocative manner and has no bearing on the situation on the India-Pakistan border. This should not aggravate any tensions on the border or between India and Pakistan.''
Rao said India informed the envoys of Pakistan, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, Britain and other European countries about the test.
The missile, a short-range version of the intermediate-range Agni-I, soared into the sky over the Bay of Bengal from Wheeler's Island off the coast of Orissa state, officials said.
Its range is 420 miles, compared with the earlier version of the Agni, which has a range of 1,500 miles.
The testing site is about 50 miles out to sea from a coastal facility where the Defense Research and Development Organization tests much of its modern defense weaponry. Agni means ``fire'' in Hindi, India's national language.
Other details on the new version were not immediately available from the testing range at Chandipur, about 750 miles southeast of New Delhi.
A leading analyst also said Friday's test was not related to current tensions with Pakistan.
``The tests depend on weather and climatic conditions. This test would have been planned four to five months ago,'' said C. Uday Bhaskar, deputy director of the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, a think tank partially funded by the government.
India's missile arsenal includes army and air force versions of the short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi; the Trishul, a surface-to-air missile that targets aircraft and can counter sea-skimming missiles; and the anti-tank Nag missile.
India, which conducted five nuclear tests in 1998, is working to perfect its missile delivery system.
India says it is developing its missile program as a deterrent against neighbors China and Pakistan. India has fought one war with China and three with Pakistan.
Earlier this month, India's army chief pledged massive retaliation if Pakistan launched a nuclear attack but said India would not use nuclear weapons first.