[quote name='Bharat_2009' date='30 April 2012 - 09:08 AM' timestamp='1335756630' post='114759']
From BK's article
"The Agni has to have a minimum range of 10,000 kms to be considered an ICBM"
Any missile with range about 5500 km is called an ICBM.
Tell me something. DRDO said before and after Agni V launch that it was an ICBM. Mr.BK said to the media it was an IRBM. But hats off to Mr BK, if he is purposely trying to divert the attention of non proliferation experts but from his article we can safely assume that he is against downplaying of missile range.
[/quote]
In the context of India, an ICBM as defined by range characteristics as opposed to the speed based ICBM profile he acknowledges at the beginning of the article is 10000KM. The distance from the farthest Indian territory to the farthest Chinese city is roughly around 10,000 km. So Agni V as capped by the present government to 5000km, which has been pussy footing around an ICBM calling it an LRBM something on one uses internationally irks BK. Either you call a spade a spade or toe the line. The government wants to take credit for it and was surprised when Nato and US reaction was muted. The die was already cast on the decision to call it LRBM. DRDO stuck to the name, but their celebrations and the details put out indicated an ICBM. DRDO doesn't act like they have the moon after every test. Certainly not after Agni IV. So the cat is out of the bag. So clearly the maximal position we can take without directly targeting the US is 10,000km. The future Agni tests are also not subject to caps to the extent they are labelled LRBM and don't cross 10,000km.
On the nuclear tests, BK is quiet candid and seems to suggest the world was with India in a new series of tests. It has been signaled to a lot of Indians including BK in 2009 and later that a test would be reasonable and ignored. The Santhanam episode was again an attempt at forcing the hand of the government which was reluctant even after these signals. The hurry in 2009 and I think after re-election, Obama will make a renewed push towards Non Proliferation. The window was closing and Obama wanted the Indian tests out of the way to seal the deal and a legacy second term for Obama could only mean a renewed push. So time really is running out. I don't think the Indian strategic circle is even open to such innuendos and BK makes no bones about it and is calling the fission and TN tests a dud. We don't have a war-head against China, test or forever be a second rate power is his message. Counter-value is the only china deterrent. 1MT being replied to with a 20kt on a country which spent 30 years and 1/3rd it's GDP building a second great wall of tunnels with grains and can house 1/3rd of all major city residents is a poor deterrent in BK's book.I agree with him on the tests and the need for the proof tests. The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.
Added Later:
Around 2009 there were reports of Pakistan actively pursuing a thermonuclear warhead program and looking internationally to acquire such capability. The Pakistan tit for tat tests would have been a series of low KT fission devices in 2009. An Indian test in 2009 would have also galvanized support for Non-Proliferation campaign of Obama with the inclusion of India and excluding Pakistan as the dust settled with India strongly in the tent.
From BK's article
"The Agni has to have a minimum range of 10,000 kms to be considered an ICBM"
Any missile with range about 5500 km is called an ICBM.
Tell me something. DRDO said before and after Agni V launch that it was an ICBM. Mr.BK said to the media it was an IRBM. But hats off to Mr BK, if he is purposely trying to divert the attention of non proliferation experts but from his article we can safely assume that he is against downplaying of missile range.
[/quote]
In the context of India, an ICBM as defined by range characteristics as opposed to the speed based ICBM profile he acknowledges at the beginning of the article is 10000KM. The distance from the farthest Indian territory to the farthest Chinese city is roughly around 10,000 km. So Agni V as capped by the present government to 5000km, which has been pussy footing around an ICBM calling it an LRBM something on one uses internationally irks BK. Either you call a spade a spade or toe the line. The government wants to take credit for it and was surprised when Nato and US reaction was muted. The die was already cast on the decision to call it LRBM. DRDO stuck to the name, but their celebrations and the details put out indicated an ICBM. DRDO doesn't act like they have the moon after every test. Certainly not after Agni IV. So the cat is out of the bag. So clearly the maximal position we can take without directly targeting the US is 10,000km. The future Agni tests are also not subject to caps to the extent they are labelled LRBM and don't cross 10,000km.
On the nuclear tests, BK is quiet candid and seems to suggest the world was with India in a new series of tests. It has been signaled to a lot of Indians including BK in 2009 and later that a test would be reasonable and ignored. The Santhanam episode was again an attempt at forcing the hand of the government which was reluctant even after these signals. The hurry in 2009 and I think after re-election, Obama will make a renewed push towards Non Proliferation. The window was closing and Obama wanted the Indian tests out of the way to seal the deal and a legacy second term for Obama could only mean a renewed push. So time really is running out. I don't think the Indian strategic circle is even open to such innuendos and BK makes no bones about it and is calling the fission and TN tests a dud. We don't have a war-head against China, test or forever be a second rate power is his message. Counter-value is the only china deterrent. 1MT being replied to with a 20kt on a country which spent 30 years and 1/3rd it's GDP building a second great wall of tunnels with grains and can house 1/3rd of all major city residents is a poor deterrent in BK's book.I agree with him on the tests and the need for the proof tests. The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.
Added Later:
Around 2009 there were reports of Pakistan actively pursuing a thermonuclear warhead program and looking internationally to acquire such capability. The Pakistan tit for tat tests would have been a series of low KT fission devices in 2009. An Indian test in 2009 would have also galvanized support for Non-Proliferation campaign of Obama with the inclusion of India and excluding Pakistan as the dust settled with India strongly in the tent.