India missile test to start arms race: Pakistan

[t-birds]

Reuters
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; 7:41 AM

KARACHI (Reuters) - India's successful test-firing of a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile will trigger a new arms race in the region, Pakistan's navy chief said on Wednesday.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their partition and independence in 1947, and nearly went to war a fourth time in 2002, but relations have improved since they launched a peace process in 2004.

India, already capable of launches from land and air, tested the new missile on Tuesday from a surfaced submarine -- a step closer to firing from under the sea and matching countries such as the United States, Russia, France and China.

"These developments...put nuclear weapons at sea and it is a very, very serious issue," navy chief Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir told reporters in Karachi.

"This is going to start a new arms race in the region," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. Indian officials say the K-15, a two-stage missile with a top range of 700 km (450 miles), will be eventually deployed with a domestically built nuclear submarine, after further tests.

The two South Asian countries routinely test missiles in spite of their peace process.

(Reporting by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

[Marshal]

Reuters
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; 7:41 AM

KARACHI (Reuters) - India's successful test-firing of a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile will trigger a new arms race in the region, Pakistan's navy chief said on Wednesday.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their partition and independence in 1947, and nearly went to war a fourth time in 2002, but relations have improved since they launched a peace process in 2004.

India, already capable of launches from land and air, tested the new missile on Tuesday from a surfaced submarine -- a step closer to firing from under the sea and matching countries such as the United States, Russia, France and China.

"These developments...put nuclear weapons at sea and it is a very, very serious issue," navy chief Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir told reporters in Karachi.

"This is going to start a new arms race in the region," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. Indian officials say the K-15, a two-stage missile with a top range of 700 km (450 miles), will be eventually deployed with a domestically built nuclear submarine, after further tests.

The two South Asian countries routinely test missiles in spite of their peace process.

(Reporting by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Robert Birsel)

I think pakistan should not worry to much about it.Al though it will give India a new dimension of its nuclear detarance but Basicaly it is china centric missile.and India currently developing 5000km to 6000km range SLBM,a varient of Agni.

 

[IceCold]

I think pakistan should not worry to much about it.

Yes ofcourse we shouldnt worry infact we shouldnt worry at all after all we have such great brother hood going on these days.

 

[Samudra]

I'm a fan of any race. More of it!

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

I'm a fan of any race. More of it!

Shows your mentality!

As for the arms race, from pakistan's prespective it is a good move by india and now we will be seeing a Naval version of Babur tested soon!

 

[Samudra]

Shows your mentality!

Aye my friend. That is a compliment. I come from this town in India that is called the Mecca of motor sports in India. There are so many rally drivers in my family. In fact the Indian F1 driver bloke himself is part of the tribe.

Race!

 

[yarmook]

Samudra no one asked ancestoral relationship to race or F1 grand prix...

We are discussing here arms race.

Yet more clarification to this term would be weapons race not arms wrestling

 

[Samudra]

We are discussing here arms race.

If we're able to afford it - any race is good for us.

 

[Always Neutral]

Reuters
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; 7:41 AM

KARACHI (Reuters) - India's successful test-firing of a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile will trigger a new arms race in the region, Pakistan's navy chief said on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Robert Birsel)

START A NEW ARMS RACE ?


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD ONE ?



Regards.

 

[BATMAN]

START A NEW ARMS RACE ?


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD ONE ?



Regards.

Every new weopan start a new race.

 

[BATMAN]

Basicaly it is china centric missile.and India currently developing 5000km to 6000km range SLBM,a varient of Agni.

Wrong, all Indian missiles related development is done in Israeli.

 

[Malang]

Wrong, all Indian missiles related development is done in Israeli.

what about Russia??

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

That is a good question, " so what happened to the old one "?

 

[fatman17]

Pakistan's navy chief warns of nuclear arms race

Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent-Islamabad

Key Points
Pakistan's efforts to acquire its own submarine-launched missiles continue to be hampered by the reluctance of foreign countries to sell it essential components


Pakistan's navy chief has warned of an escalation in South Asia's nuclear arms race, following the test firing of India's first nuclear-capable submarine-launched missile on 26 February.

"This [test] is going to start a new arms race in the region," Admiral Mohammad Afzal Tahir told journalists in Karachi the day after the test, strongly hinting that Pakistan would be forced to reciprocate by seeking a similar weapon of its own. "These developments put nuclear weapons at sea and it is a very, very serious issue."

Western defence experts said that Adm Tahir's remarks did not come as a surprise. Since its maiden nuclear tests in 1998, Pakistan has been trying to acquire submarine-launched missiles to give the country a second strike capability in the event of conflict with India.

The experts also quoted reports that Pakistani naval engineers have tried to modify at least one of the three Agosta 90-B submarines that Pakistan acquired from France in the 1990s to carry submarine-launched missiles. However, so far there have been no reports of Pakistan succeeding in this objective.

Sources said that plans to purchase either three German or French submarines would hinge in part on the extent to which Pakistan can negotiate larger torpedo tubes for the missiles.

"Pakistan is engaged in a very active effort to acquire SLBMs [submarine-launched ballistic missiles]. For Pakistani nuclear planners, having an SLBM capability is the next big target in building up their nuclear force," said one Western defence expert who spoke to Jane's on condition of anonymity.

The expert said that one key difficulty for Pakistan remains the virtual absence of foreign suppliers willing to sell the components needed to manufacture submarine-launched missiles, most notably the motor to propel such a system. "Pakistan has successfully developed a comprehensive [land-based] nuclear missile programme, but that was before the international pressures began mounting very significantly," he added.

 

[IceCold]

Well I dont think so international pressure has anything to do with it. Once we decide we need this capability, we will get it inshallah one way or the other and now since after the testing of the missle by india, it has actually given pakistan a kind of go a head with SLBM. There was also rumours about a possible naval version of Babur. Coming months will indeed be exciting as we may see pakistan testing their own version of an SLBM.