India conducted its first test of a nuclear-capable missile from an undersea platform on Tuesday, completing its goal of having air, land and sea ballistic systems, the defence ministry said.

The launch from a submerged pontoon took place off India’s southeast coast near the port city of Visakhapatnam around 1:00 pm (0730 GMT), a defence ministry spokesman said.

India’s nuclear submarine is expected to be be ready for sea trials by 2009, the Indian navy has said.

After conducting nuclear tests in May 1998, New Delhi announced a doctrine which stressed the development of air, land and sea ballistic capabilities to enhance its nuclear deterrence.

With the latest test, India joins an elite group — the United States, Russia, France and China — that has such ability.

The test comes two months after India’s chief military scientist M. Natarajan said New Delhi would test a ballistic missile with a range of 6,000 kilometres in 2008.

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Above picture of a Poseidon submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
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An artist’s rendering of the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter aircraft

India will lease a nuclear powered Akula-II attack submarine from Russia from mid-2008 onwards under a hush-hush Rs 2600 crore (US$ 650 million) deal.

The Akula-II class attack submarine

Then, of course, India will be acquiring another 40 Sukhoi-30MKIs to add to the 190 already contracted, 347 more T-90S to add to the 310 such main-battle tanks already inducted, and 80 more Mi-17 medium-lift utility and assault helicopters from Russia. The deal does not include 230 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters India is going to acquire from Russia at an overall cost of over $8.5 billion.

2 SU-30K Flankers, 2 F-15 Eagles and 2 Mirage 2000 flying in formation

The 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov (below), was initially supposed to join Indian Navy by August 2008 as per the $1.5 billion package deal signed with Russia in January 2004. But India will not be getting the carrier, already rechristened INS Vikramaditya, anytime before 2010. The package deal, incidentally, includes 16 MiG-29K ‘Fulcrum’ supersonic fighters and a mix of Ka-31 and Ka-28 helicopters to operate from the carrier’s deck.

News source: TimesofIndia

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