India to Conduct Submerged Missile Test

India plans to test-fire a ballistic missile it could eventually use to arm a nuclear-missile submarine, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 4, 2007).

After the K-15 missile is launched from an underwater pontoon, it is expected to be “integrated” into an Indian nuclear-powered submarine that is now in development, said S. Prahlada, head of the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization.

“We have completed all preparations for the first-ever test launch of the missile and are awaiting the government's nod,” he said.

If New Delhi succeeds in deploying the 438-mile range missile on a launch-capable submarine, India would join an elite group of nations able to deploy nuclear weapons from ships, submarines, and land and air-based platforms, AFP reported

Prahlada added that India plans to conduct a new test of its Agni 3 ballistic missile, which has a range of 2,480 miles and is capable of hitting targets deep within the interior of China (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Feb. 18).

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