India 'to test Agni-II missile'

India has issued an international shipping alert for an area off its eastern coastline, fuelling
speculation that it might be about to test a new version of its Agni ballistic missile.

The Agni, which has a range of 1,800km, was last tested was five years
ago.
Mike Wooldridge in
Delhi: Conflicting That was long before May last year when India tested nuclear weapons for
signs about the first time and Pakistan followed suit shortly afterwards.
whether test will go
ahead
India said it was going to test the Agni-II on 26 January, to coincide with
Republic Day, but the test did not happen.

The international community has expressed serious concern about the potential for a nuclear
exchange in the subcontinent since last May's tests.

Sanctions have been imposed on both India and Pakistan to join the international nuclear
non-proliferation regime.

Circumspect

BBC South Asia Correspondent Mike Wooldridge says senior Indian government sources are
being extremely circumspect about the timing of an Agni-II test, and he says there are clearly
political factors at play as well as the question of technical readiness.

A report on the United News of India agency said the new ballistic missile would be tested off
the eastern state of Orissa between Friday and Sunday.

The agency said a new short-range missile Dhanush could also be test-fired, but it quoted a
Ministry of Defence spokesman saying reports about both tests are highly speculative.
If a missile test does take place either now or later, a key issue will be the range. The media is
speculating that the Agni-II's range would be at least 2,000km.

Our correspondent says the kind of range makes this missile a potential defence against
China as much as against Pakistan, but he points out that China and India are engaged in
dialogue, which is not the case with Pakistan.

Advance warning

The speculation about Indian intermediate-range missile tests comes a fortnight after India
and Pakistan signed a treaty designed to defuse the tension between the two which
intensified after the tit-for-tat nuclear tests.

The Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif,
agreed to give advance warning of ballistic missile tests, and to abide by their own
moratoriums on nuclear testing "unless either side decides that extraordinary events have
jeopardised its interests".

The "Lahore Declaration" was the culmination of a trip by Mr

Vajpayee to Pakistan, which was hailed by many as a new dawn in
improved relations between the two traditional enemies.

The possibility of further ballistic missile test could put hopes of

further improvements in doubt.

The Agni was on show at

Independence Day parade in
January