India carried out a successful test on Thursday of its longest-range ballistic missile, the Agni III, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead more than 3,000 km (1,900 miles). Defense analysts say the Agni III is primarily designed to counter the military strength of China, which also has nuclear weapons.
The author argues that India needs to "raise the ante" and develop a limited missile defense system to respond to an unpredictable Pakistan.
India is interested in cooperating with the United States to develop its own missile defense system, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency
This paper discusses NMD's potential "cascading effect" upon the China-South Asia nuclear balance as well as other possible repercussions in Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Pamela Constable writes in the Washington Post that US President Bush's proposal for a missile defense system has been greeted enthusiastically by Indian authorities, in sharp contrast to skepticism from US allies and antagonists alike, and is leading the US and India towards what could be a full-fledged strategic partnership. Constable states that US- India relations had been obstructed by India's nuclear tests and India's refusal to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, but the Bush administration is now considering dropping sanctions against India.