India test-fires 5,000 km Nuclear capable Agni-V ICBM missile

[Maulik]

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."

http://www.asianage.com/india/india-test-fires-5000-km-agni-v-missile-china-cautious-338

[Maulik]

http://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/top-story/58876-agni-v-test-china-reacts-cautiously-says-india-not-rival-.html

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.

[Maulik]

India storms into elite club with Agni-V missile



India has 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 am on Thursday, India also emerged as a major missile powerhouse of the world, having developed Agni-V almost entirely indigenously over the last four years.

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

"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 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," Singh 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.

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.

[Maulik]

Agni-V: China says India underplaying Agni, it can hit Europe



China's strategic experts and the official media are trying to provoke western countries saying the Agni-V missile has a longer range than India would admit, and it can hit cities in Europe.

In comments that are obviously authorized by the defence ministry, Chinese experts said the Indian missile actually has a range of 8,000 kilometers and not the shorter range of 5,000 kms, as claimed by India. There are signs China will try to pressure the US and Russia not to sell missile guidance systems to India.

"The missile brings the whole of Asia, 70 per cent of Europe and other regions under its strike range and puts India among a select band of countries in the world to possess the technology of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the official Xinhua news agency said in a dispatch published in dozens of Chinese newspapers. Another paper, the Global Times, even carried a map showing Moscow, Tehran and Jakarta among cities coming within the range of Indian missiles.

An expert at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences said the Agni-V actually has the potential to reach targets 8,000 kilometers away, according to the Communist Party-controlled Global Times. It quoted the researcher, Du Wenlong, saying the Indian government had deliberately downplayed the missile's capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries.

"According to China's standard, an ICBM should have a range of at least 8,000 kilometers. The Agni-V's range could be further enhanced to become an ICBM," the paper quoted another expert, Zhang Zhaozhong, a professor with the People's Liberation Army National Defence University, as saying.

But some Chinese experts have raised questions about New Delhi's capability to actually use the missile.

"India does not posses high-precision guidance system. To make up for the shortfall, it has to buy it from US and from Russia. These counties may be reluctant to sell their most advanced technology," the official China Central Television quoted some experts as saying.

CCTV even questioned India's infrastructure capabilities. "The missile weighs 50 tonnes. It has no suitable loading vehicle to transport it. Due to India's poor infrastructure, the country's bridges and roads cannot bear the weight of the missile". "So far, it can only be launched from a fixed position. Even though it was successful, it will take a long time to build an operational missile force," it said.

In the Global Times interview, Zhang suggested the Agni-V would help India rise from a regional to a world power. China must work on developing defence systems against the threat of ballistic missile. "It is India's goal to possess an ICBM, as the country seeks to improve its status and become a major world player. Without it, India will remain a regional power," Zhang said.

By itself, the Agni-V will not take away China's superiority in this technology, Zhang said. "But for the sake of regional stability, China should continue to develop defence systems against ballistic missile threats," he said.

The Communist Party's main organ, the People's Daily, ran a commentary, "Risks behind India's military build-up" saying the Agni-V development shows Indian's intention to seek a regional balance of power.

"However, in the context of the eastward shift of global economic power and the changing Asian geopolitical pattern, India should cooperate with neighbouring countries and reduce its own persecution mania," it said.

China successfully conducted its first ground-based mid-course ballistic missile interception experiment in January 2010, becoming the second country in the world to conduct this kind of missile defence test, the local media pointed out.

These views, mostly fuelled by experts connected to China's ministry of defence, were different in tone and content from comments made by the foreign affairs ministry on Thursday. The foreign affairs ministry said China was for "cooperative partnership" with India as it was not a rival.

[Shah-i-Kot]

India is the doormat of the US. India can never be a threat to China at this moment, and will never be accepted in the East as a power to reckon with.

Like Pakistan, India is full of corruption at the highest levels, and due this widespread corruption, India can never translate their growth into real influence and power. The slave-like mentality holds India back too far.

A truly bold and independent country is Argentina that just nationalized their OIL. Thats called guts, and thats far better than conducting a missile test to both serve the interests of the West in stirring up regional discord, and also be the doormat of the West, after Pakistan off course.

[Al Hanif]

You can thank Israel.

Yeah, I know what I'm talking about.

By the way, what will happen if India attacks Pakistan ?

What will the 130 millions of Indian muslims do ?

[Shah-i-Kot]

Instead of supporting war in Afghanistan as Pakistan does with transit routes, India should have changed their servile habits, and been opposed to war in Afghanistan, but instead chose the loser strategy in recognizing the lackey government of Karzai in Kabul which has no credibility whatsoever.


Secondly, instead of serving Western geopolitical interests, India should be developing good ties with China rather than having an antagonistic one to serve their masters in London, UK. This missile test shows they want to have antagonistic position with China, and this will only backfire.

The day of the West is over, and nations within Asia should not be serving the decaying and insignificant geopolitical interests of the West. The West is like a sinking ship, and allies are abandoning ship. No one wishes to sink with the ship.

India could be a regional power, or it simply could continue to be a doormat.

[Manzareh]

So now youve got rockets to take out China, you cheeky 5ft tall nerds..gotta give it to ya

[Karachi]

not really a big deal

[Shah-i-Kot]

actually, it is a very big deal and accomplishment.

However, its how India adapts their foreign policy: will they be more independent and develop good ties with regional countries?

Will they seek to recognize only a INDEPENDENT Afghanistan, or will they continue to support war in Afghanistan? Will they continue to be the doormat for failed Western policies? Will they be the last swan song of a Western era of power (largely on the backs of the petrodollar of servile Arab regimes) that has come to an end?

All these things matter. If they continue to sing songs for Western hegemony and failed geopolitical interests, then they too will become insignificant along with their Agnis

[Karachi]

read this article on how this technology was developed, Russians and Israelis are helping behind the scenes: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnis...ague-soon.html

[faye]

india is the most pro israel country in the world, according to a survey i read about. they have pacts with israel and are israels best customer for war machinery.

[Talal]

I wonder who gains most from this, India already had Pakistan covered so for Pakistan this doesn't change much..but going after china like this might just stir up further hostilities in addition to prompting china to further the pace of their weapons development.

Very interested to know the motivation behind this.

[faye]

americas governments appear to work very hard and long to keep the world in a state of war, paranoia and agitation. this increases the expenditure on military and arms.
they and all their war toy manufacturing buddies, snare developing countries, especially, into becoming their goodly customers, wasting hard cash on defence instead of on the development of their countries.

[Manzareh]

^ the best post iv ever read from you