nuclear-news

India’s ‘China killer’ nuclear missile

India to test ‘China Killer’ missile, SMH, Ben Doherty, April 18, 2012 INDIA could test fire its most powerful nuclear-capable missile yet as early as today, a 50-tonne, 20-metre rocket that has the potential to reach all of Asia and large parts of Europe.

The Agni V – named for the Hindu god of fire, but given the incendiary appellation ”the China Killer” by the more sensationalist of the local press – has a range of more than 5000 kilometres, and has beenslated for a 1000-second test flight some time between today and Friday……
”Agni V is a 5000-plus kilometre range missile and it is to meet our
present-day threat perceptions, which are determined by our defence
forces and other agencies,” Mr Gupta said.
A successful test would make India just the sixth country known to
deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles. Only the five permanent
members of the United Nations Security Council – the US, China,
Russia, the UK and France – have that capability.
While Indian officials are at pains to reiterate the country’s ”no
first strike policy”, India’s newly muscular armoury, and the
hastening pace of its development, is feeding anxieties about a
regional arms race.
India was declared by the Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute as the biggest arms importer in the world, spending $US12.7
billion ($12.3 billion) on hardware and weapons over the past five
years.
India will increase its total defence spending by 17 per cent this
year to $38.6 billion, more than four times the government’s spending
on health care for 1.2 billion citizens.
India sees neighbours Pakistan and China, with both of whom it has
border disputes, as its greatest existential threats.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/india-to-test-china-killer-missile-20120417-1x5j2.html#ixzz1sQfZH4B5

April 18, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, weapons and war