India's first test-firing of a new missile designed to carry nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East was unsuccessful, the defense minister said. Although initially reported as a success by officials, the Agni III missile plunged into the Bay of Bengal short of its target, Defense Pranab Mukherjee told reporters late Sunday.
Following the failed missile launch, an Indian rocket carrying a satellite for TV broadcasts veered off course and exploded after takeoff Monday, Indian media reported.
The missile launch came as President Bush tries to push a civilian nuclear deal with India past a skeptical Congress. The deal permits India to keep making nuclear weapons, and critics say the pact could undermine the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Even though the deal does not cover missiles, the Hindu newspaper reported Monday that the top U.S. general, Peter Pace, gave Indian officials the green light to conduct the test when he visited India last month. The missile test reportedly had been delayed for two years by technical issues and fears of international condemnation.
Mukherjee, who witnessed Sunday's missile launch, said India would press ahead with the Agni III program. He termed the failure a snag, but offered no other details.
Indian media reported that the missile's second stage failed to separate after it was launched from Wheeler Island off the eastern state of Orissa.
India's current crop of missiles have been largely intended to confront archrival and neighbor Pakistan. The Agni III, by contrast, is to be India's longest-range missile, designed to reach 1,900 miles. That would putting China's major cities well into range, as well as targets deep in the Middle East.
It's also said to be capable of carrying a 200-300 kiloton nuclear warhead.
"This is going to help in establishing the credibility of India's deterrent profile," said Indian defense analyst C. Uday Bhaskar.
Still, he dismissed speculation the missile was designed with China in mind.
"Any strategic capability is not aimed at any particular nation. To say it is China-specific is misleading," Bhaskar said.
India and China have shared decades of mutual suspicion and fought a 1962 border war. But relations have warmed considerably in recent years as the two Asian giants have boosted trade and economic ties.
India's missile program, together with its nuclear program and drive for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, is part of its ongoing efforts to establish itself as a world power.
While past Indian missile test firings were seen attempts at saber-rattling with Pakistan, which would in turn test its own missiles, the Agni III test was seen as routine and intended to further India's missile program, which aims to eventually produce a long-range ICBM.
India's homegrown missile arsenal already includes the short-range Prithvi ballistic missile, the medium-range Akash, the anti-tank Nag and the supersonic Brahmos missile, developed jointly with Russia.
India notified Pakistan ahead of the launch, in accordance with an agreement between the two, said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.
After Monday's rocket veered off course, authorities alerted emergency crews around the launch site in southeastern India, presumably in case the debris crashed back to earth, NDTV news television station reported.
The nearly 4,800-pound satellite — named INSAT-4C — was to be India's 12th satellite in orbit.
Source: AP via Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060710/ap_on_re_as/india_missile_test...
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