India wheels out new long-range missile in annual parade
The nuclear missile can hit anywhere in China.
A surface-to-surface Agni V missile is displayed during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW DELHI:
India wheeled out a new long-range nuclear missile that can hit anywhere in China as it celebrated its Republic Day with a big parade Saturday.
India successfully tested last April the Agni V missile, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres and can strike across the Chinese mainland and even hit targets as far away as Europe.
The first appearance in the annual parade of the Agni V - seen as marking a significant upgrade of India's nuclear deterrent - came along with the display of other military hardware acquired as part of a massive modernisation drive costing tens of billions of dollars.
The parade along New Delhi's ceremonial Rajpath, or King's Avenue, also included floats marking India's rich diversity and a tableau marking 100 years of Indian cinema wrapped in reels of film and embossed with movie names.
Large areas of the capital were sealed off for the celebrations - a traditional show of patriotic fervour - where Bhutan's king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was the chief guest.
India's shorter-range Agni I and II were developed with Pakistan in mind, while later versions reflect India's focus on China as well. India and China have prickly ties and a legacy of mistrust stemming from a brief border war in 1962.
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[poll id="1016"]
India wheeled out a new long-range nuclear missile that can hit anywhere in China as it celebrated its Republic Day with a big parade Saturday.
India successfully tested last April the Agni V missile, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres and can strike across the Chinese mainland and even hit targets as far away as Europe.
The first appearance in the annual parade of the Agni V - seen as marking a significant upgrade of India's nuclear deterrent - came along with the display of other military hardware acquired as part of a massive modernisation drive costing tens of billions of dollars.
The parade along New Delhi's ceremonial Rajpath, or King's Avenue, also included floats marking India's rich diversity and a tableau marking 100 years of Indian cinema wrapped in reels of film and embossed with movie names.
Large areas of the capital were sealed off for the celebrations - a traditional show of patriotic fervour - where Bhutan's king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was the chief guest.
India's shorter-range Agni I and II were developed with Pakistan in mind, while later versions reflect India's focus on China as well. India and China have prickly ties and a legacy of mistrust stemming from a brief border war in 1962.
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[poll id="1016"]