WASHINGTON: India has frozen the development of Agni missile following a warning from United States that any progress in its unfolding would constitute a grave provocation, the US Senate Foreign Relations Sub- committee on South Asia was told. “We have asked them if it is necessary. Agni is now in a period of hibernation…they are considering what next to do.” Robert Einhorn, deputy assistant secretary of state told the committee.

As for the short range Prithvi mis- sile, Einhorn said they were in the user trial stage.

There was a very, very small inventory, but the US believed they had not been serially produced or deployed at this stage.

India’s ballistic missile program came under sharp and intense scrutiny from the committee, in part be- cause of the new Democratic member. Dianne Feinstein, who tenaciously sought details about production  and deployment.

Einhorn maintained that while the Agni development was in a state of suspended animation, a small number of Prithvi missiles were produced only for testing purposes. Neither were deployed on launch pads.

He confirmed that both missiles could carry nuclear munitions, though the US believed India’s contention that the short range Prithvi was meant to carry only conventional warheads. The transfer of the Chinese M-11 missiles to Pakistan was also subject of sharp questioning from the commitice.

Assistant secretary of defense Jo- seph Nye said the administration was yet to make a “final determination” of the “alleged sale” of the missile, an eventuality which would compel severe US sanctions against China. However, this stay was blown in a non-official testimony by Mitchell Reiss, a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, who claimed that Pakistan had received nuclear-capable M-11 missiles from China, which were in storage at an air force base near Lahore.”

In his prepared testimony, Nye said that the Pentagon views the nuclear capabilities of India and Pakistan with considerable concern.

BJP: no BJP: no electoral alliance with HVP.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 17, 1995