- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA on Wednesday (27) tested Agni-5 ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles), the country’s defence ministry said in what the media called a “stern signal” to China as the two nuclear-armed neighbours continue to lock horns over a border dispute.
The missile blasted off from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the eastern Indian state of Odisha late on Wednesday and splashed into the Bay of Bengal.
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“The successful test … is in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’ [of nuclear weapons],” a statement from the defence ministry said.
The missile, standing 17 metre tall, has been tested many times in the past but it was for the first time that it was tested at night. According to the local media, the timing was chosen to give a message to Beijing.
In the wake of its border disputes with China that saw deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 and mobilisation of extra troops at the frontiers, India has deepened its defence cooperation with countries like the US, Japan and Australia that also have rivalry with China in various sectors.
India is also a major buyer of Russian military hardware and sought Moscow’s S-400 missile defence system despite Washington threatening to impose sanctions.
India’s latest missile test also came after China reportedly tested a hypersonic missile that circled Planet Earth at a low orbit before descending towards its target. It missed it though. Beijing denied the report saying it was a routine test of a reusable space vehicle.
Hypersonics bring in an innovation in missile technology since they fly lower and are harder to detect than ballistic missiles. They can also hit their targets quicker and can be maneuvered. Countries like the US, Russia and North Korea have tested hypersonic missiles while several others are also developing the technology, and that reportedly includes India.
According to Indian daily Times of India, the country is working on enabling Agni-5 to carry several nuclear warheads at once so that they can split up and hit multiple targets.
