Pakistan has conducted its third ballistic missile test in four days, further adding to tension between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir. Leaders around the world are concerned the border conflict could escalate into a nuclear war.
An “Abdali” missile with a range of 180 km (110 miles) was tested on Tuesday. The Pakistani army said in a statement that Tuesday’s trial was successful and concluded its testing “for now”.
Pakistan tested a Ghazinavi missile, capable of travelling 290 km (180 miles), on Sunday and a Ghauri missile, with a range of 1600 km (1000 miles), on Saturday.
It had been expected that the third test would be of a long-range Shaheen missile, capable of travelling of 2900 km (1800 miles). But it now appears this missile will not be fired.
Advertisement
First flight
All of Pakistan’s missiles are relatively new. The Ghazinavi class had never been tested in flight before and the Ghauri had undergone just two previous test flights. The missiles are described as “indigenously developed” by Pakistan, but India claims they were developed with assistance from another country.
The Indian government has reacted to the missile tests with anger. Pakistan says the tests were planned before the situation in Kashmir worsened but India believes they are a deliberate act of aggression. US president George Bush, Russian president Vladamir Putin and others have urged both powers to hold peace talks.
In a television address on Monday, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan would not start a full-scale war with India. India is expected to respond officially in an address to the nation on Tuesday.
Fall out
There is widespread concern that the dispute could end in nuclear war. The clash over Kashmir has escalated to full-scale war twice in the last 55 years. However one expert contacted by New Scientist says India and Pakistan are more likely to deploy non-nuclear weapons.
“I don’t believe they would use nuclear warheads,” says Duncan Lennox, editor of Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems. “Ballistic missiles would probably be used against cities with high explosive warheads.”
Lennox adds: “They are so close to each other that the radioactive fallout could well fall back on top of them. I’m quite convinced they have enough understanding of the after-effects not to want to use them.”
