The Times of India — incidentally the world’s largest English-language newspaper — reports that India has just test-fired a new nuclear-capable Agni-III missile with 3,500km of range. The missile was specifically designed to hit Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai in the event of a conflict. The article calls the missile a “golden jubilee gift to the nation,” and describes Indian defence scientists as “jubilant.”
It’s amazing how bold India is in declaring that the missiles are “China-specific,” and “designed to hit high-value targets deep inside China” — some pretty belligerent stuff from a country at peace. Not that the Chinese government wouldn’t have figured it out anyway, since the new missiles fly four times farther than the most distant borders of India’s only other potential enemy in the region — Pakistan.
Other countries that fall within the Agni-III’s range: Iran, Iraq, Israel, Turkey, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mongolia, North and South Korea, half of Turkey and just a sliver of southern Japan — including, somewhat ironically, Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
What could possibly go wrong?
Image via Mensa Barbie.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Theo // May 8, 2008 at 11:00 am
Hey India, is that a missile, or are you happy to see me?
2 maya // May 8, 2008 at 2:02 pm
gaa who knew?
3 Asher Vijay // May 8, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Sigh.
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