The Washington Post
NEW DELHI, India — India Friday successfully test-fired the newest version of a surface-to-surface missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, drawing condemnation from neighboring Pakistan in the midst of a tense military standoff between the two countries.
The Agni II missile, said to have a range of up to 420 miles, was launched over the Bay of Bengal Friday morning from a seaside site in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Indian officials said. Defense Minister George Fernandes witnessed the test and declared the mission "flawless."
Indian officials said that the test was part of long-term military plans and the timing was unrelated to current hostility between the two South Asian nuclear rivals.
But Pakistani officials immediately called the test provocative. "The test comes at a time of tensions when the Indian forces are massed on our borders," the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a written statement, adding, "We hope the international community will take note of this Indian behavior, which is prejudicial to the pursuit of stability in our region, especially during the current situation."
The Agni II is a two-stage, solid-fuel intermediate-range missile. Early, longer-range versions can travel up to 1,500 miles, putting India’s missiles within reach of major targets in Pakistan and China.
When the first test of the Agni II was conducted in April 1999, Pakistan responded within a week by testing its intermediate-range Ghauri II and Shaheen missiles. The most recent test firing of an Agni II took place a year ago.
In 1996, India suspended of the Agni program under pressure from the United States, only to revive it in response to Pakistan’s test of the Hatf-3 missile in 1997. Both India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in May 1998.
India currently has only one type of nuclear-capable missile in service, the short-range Prithvi, which can travel 90 to 150 miles and carry a payload of 1,200 to 2,400 pounds, the weight of a modest-size nuclear warhead. India has deployed Prithvi missiles along its border with Pakistan.
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