The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation is a toothless mechanism, but it may well end up serving India's interests, says Ajay Lele.
After three successful ballistic missile tests during the last fortnight, the Defence Research and Development Organisation is finalising preparations for the big one.
Two days after a perfect trial of the highly advanced Agni-IV weapon system, India on Friday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III missile with a strike range of over 3000 km from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.
Adding teeth to its nuclear deterrence, India on Tuesday successfully test-fired an advanced variant of nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile with a strike range of 3,000 km from an island off Odisha coast.
Pakistan on Friday test-fired a 700-km-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile which could hit targets inside India as its Army Chief dismissed as an "irresponsible alarm" concerns about the country's atomic weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.
As an aerospace scientist, Kalam worked with India's two major space research organisations --DRDO and ISRO.
.jpg)
The drone, named Burraq, has the ability to fly in all types of weather conditions.
Plans are afoot to test India's missile defence shield in November, V K Saraswat, leading scientist at Defence Research and Development Organisation, said on Friday.
With a range of 25km, Akash is one of the five missiles currently under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
Buoyed by the string of successes with the intermediate range ballistic missile Agni-III, India is planning to test a missile with 5,000 km range soon. The launching of the 5,000-km range missile would entail strapping a third stage booster rocket on Agni-III missiles powered by a solid fuel propellant. The test of the next series of Agni missiles will propel the country into the select group of nations which have long range ballistic missiles.
HAL has integrated the ASRAAM (advanced short range air-to-air missile) for the Tejas Mark 1A. The Tejas Mark 1A will carry twin ASRAAM missiles with a range of 60 to 70 kilometres.
On both the occasions, the missiles intercepted the simulated targets with pinpoint accuracy. The missiles were tested for minimum and maximum range.
India on Tuesday signed a key pact with the Philippines for the sale of 'defence material and equipment', which are likely to include BrahMos cruise missiles.
Pakistan on Monday test-fired the Shaheen-II long-range ballistic missile for the second time in three days, which can carry nuclear and conventional warheads and hit targets within India. The Shaheen-II or Hatf-VI surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which has a range of 2,000 km, was launched for the first time during a field training exercise by the army's Strategic Forces Command, the military said in a statement.
After personally overseeing the test Kim Jong-un 'said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary'.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation is all set to conduct a trial of the new indigenously developed quick reaction, short-range Prahaar missile on Thursday from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea.
Pakistan on Tuesday successfully test-fired a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf III (Ghaznavi), capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 kilometres, that could cover parts of India.
This is the first time North Korea has fired what is thought to be a ballistic weapon over Japan.
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said Pakistan was not cowed down by the test and added that "nobody in the world has appreciated India for its issile test."
The US military fired an intercontinental ballistic missile-type weapon on Tuesday from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. It then fired a missile to intercept it from Vandenberg air force base in California.
The new missile could deliver 2,000 to 3,500 kilograms of payload to any point in the continental US, notes Rajaram Panda.
IIT Kanpur has announced a breakthrough in stealth technology, which would make tanks and fighter aircraft invisible, or near-invisible to enemy radar.
The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the world's fastest operational system in its class and recently the DRDO has extended the range of the missile system from the existing 298 km to around 450 km.
China on Monday conducted day-long large-scale military drills aimed at surrounding Taiwan by deploying an aircraft carrier group, besides army, navy, air force and missile forces, in an apparent response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's remarks that Beijing has no authority to represent Taipei.
After failing to hit the target in the previous test, the Defence Research and Development Organisation is planning to test-fire the Block II version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on March 4."We are planning to conduct the second test of the BrahMos Block II version at the Army's test range in Pokharan on March 4 this week," Defence Ministry officials said.
The 119 nearly identical construction sites, that could potentially house powerful weapons capable of reaching the American mainland, are similar to those seen at existing launch facilities for China's arsenal of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, the report said.
The missile hit a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal from the combat jet.
The missile has a strike range of 2000 km, the sources said soon after it blasted off from a mobile launcher at the Launch Complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range, the sources said.
Highly placed sources said the test firing could take place any time this month.
This the second time that the missile has been test-fired in less than a month and is part of an effort to put in place a multi-layer missile defence system.
The Long Range Surface to Air Missile jointly being developed by India and Israel is an answer to potential threats from Pakistan's anti-ship missile.
The HSTDV is capable of powering missiles to attain a speed of around Mach 6 or six times the speed of sound, the officials said, adding only a very few countries like the United States, Russia and China have such a capability.
On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Indian Navy in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully conducted guided flight trials of the first indigenously developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile from a Seaking 42B helicopter.
Imphal, the Indian Navy's latest indigenous guided missile destroyer, scored a bull's eye in her maiden Brahmos firing at sea.
The navy said the missile hit the target at maximum range with precise accuracy.
He said the country now possesses the capability to strike satellites in outer space with centimetre-level accuracy and precision.
'He has remained the leader of our course all through 40 years, not allowing his energy and enthusiasm to fade. And through all his achievements, he has remained grounded.' Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) salutes his NDA coursemate Amar Preet Singh as he takes over as Chief of the Air Staff.
China has also announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances