India to test missiles including long-range Agni-V

      India's Defence Research and Development Organization under the country's defense ministry is preparing to test various intercontinental ballistic missiles with the ability to attack targets in the Far East, Africa and even Europe according to the official website of the People's Liberation Army's China Defense Science and Technology Information Center.

A source from the Indian military said that the country is ready to test three types of Agni intercontinental missiles after the launch of the Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile in November. The missiles include the Agni-II, with a range 2,000 kilometers, and perhaps even the Agni-IV, with a range of 4,000 km, the source said, while the Defence Research and Development Organization said the Agni-V, estimated to have a range of 5,000-8,000 kilometers, will be tested as well.

The Agni-V's first test was in April 2012. On Sept. 15, the Agni-V completed its second test. Both tests were launched from road-mobile launchers. Its latest test took place on Wheeler island in the Indian Ocean. The Defense Science and Technology Information Center believes, the road-mobile launcher allows the Agni-V more mobility against a potential enemy attack. Like Russia's Topol road-mobile missile, it is hard for satellites to detect.

China has developed DF-21 missiles to enable it to confront all of its potential enemies in Asia, including India. When launched from bases in Liaoning, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Fujian and Qinghai, the DF-21 can reach all major targets in Japan, South Korea, Okinawa, Taiwan, Vietnam, India and Central Asia. The DF-31B road-mobile launcher, with an attacking range of 9,000 km and the ability to carry multiple warheads, is another weapon in China's arsenal which could be used to counter the Agni-V.

PLA's DF-31B ICBM 'poses threat to US national security'

     

     After China tested its DF-31B intercontinental ballistic missile on Sept. 2, the Washington-based Strategy Page said that this new missile with a range of 10,000 poses a serious challenge to the national security of the United States.

The report said that China is estimated to have 400 missiles with the capability to carry nuclear warheads. Only a few dozen of them including the DF-5, the DF-31A/B and the DF-41 can reach the United States, however. China is believed to have had about 24 DF-5 missiles in service over the past 20 years. Even though they are capable of reaching the United States, few of them were believed to be operational because of reliability and maintenance problems.


Most of China's ballistic missiles are tactical missiles like the DF-21, which is capable of hitting targets in Russia and India. The United States has the capability to intercept nearly all DF-5s launched from China and Beijing claims that it has not aimed its missiles against any nation. While the DF-26C is being developed to replace the older DF-21, China is designing new missiles such as the DF-31A/B and the DF-41 to replace the role played by the DF-5 in the past.

With a range of 15,000 kilometers, the DF-41 can be used against any targets in the United States. It can be moved, erected, and launched from a special truck. The article said that the missile has very similar capabilities to the 36-ton Minuteman III of the United States, first deployed in the 1970s. However, the DF-41 is unlikely to enter service with the PLA for quite some time.

China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said that the DF-31B will be able to enter service much faster because it is only an upgrade version of the DF-31A.