Yesterday's launch was as much to test the efficiency of the missile as to address national concerns about China's rising military might in the region. It took place ahead of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security conference, in Singapore this month.
08 May 2008: Straits Times
New Delhi claims success in third test-firing of rocket that can reach major Chinese cities
By Ravi Velloor, India Bureau Chief
IN NEW DELHI - INDIA yesterday conducted its third test-firing of an intermediate-range missile, one that puts China's key population centres within its range.
The Agni III, a missile that will be mounted on rail wagons to escape easy detection, is a 3,000km-range rocket that can reach Beijing, Shanghai and every other major Chinese city.
The 17m-long rocket tested yesterday is designed for both conventional and nuclear warheads. It weighed 50 tonnes and carried a payload of 1.5 tonnes.
'The developmental flights are now complete and the system is ready for induction,' said Agni project director Avinash Chander in a statement.
Yesterday's launch was as much to test the efficiency of the missile as to address national concerns about China's rising military might in the region. It took place ahead of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security conference, in Singapore this month.
Indian newspapers this month have been awash with reports of China's underground nuclear submarine base on Hainan Island, painting it as a major change to the security balance in the region.
The base was a topic of discussion yesterday at a conference of Indian naval commanders in Mumbai, defence officials said.
Senior officers assembled broke out in applause when news of the successful launch was announced, people familiar with the discussions said. The first Agni III test in July 2006 had been a failure, while the second was conducted a year ago and met most of the parameters set by scientists.
'This one can hit Baghdad or Basra or Teheran, but it really is for China,' a senior Indian official told The Straits Times earlier this week.
'It gives us a certain minimum deterrent capacity that we did not really have before. We can extend Agni III's range to 3,500km if required,' he added.
India's Defence Ministry said the Agni III, fired from testing grounds in the Bay of Bengal, 'functioned in copybook manner'.
Travelling at 4km a second and attaining a peak height of 350km, the missile re-entered the atmosphere and hit its target a little over 13 minutes later.
'The missile followed the launch with single-digit guidance accuracy,' the ministry said.
'All the subsystems of the missile functioned in a copybook manner, giving outstanding integrated performance in terms of range and accuracy.'
India's navy, which is building the first of its indigenously designed nuclear submarines, is making a major push with the government for rapid enhancement of its submarine and surface fleet arms.
The Indian military has a tri-service command in place in Port Blair, capital of the Andaman and Nicobar island chain from which it monitors the sea lanes into South-east Asia.
The news of the Chinese base is being painted here as a surprise to Indian defence planners, but analysts say it is highly unlikely that New Delhi was taken by surprise.
This week, Taiwan, with which India has close security contacts, said it had known about the base for at least six months.
'We are fully aware of the Chinese military's latest developments and shall react accordingly when necessary,' Colonel Lisa Chi, Taiwan Defence Ministry's spokesman, told the Taipei Times.
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