The west has long turned a blind eye to India’s nuclear weapons programme. But with the testing of a long-range missile capable of striking Beijing and Shanghai it is no longer possible to ignore New Delhi’s ambitions.
The Agni V – named for the Hindu god of fire – has been built to travel more than 5,000km while carrying a 1.5 tonne nuclear warhead. India now joins an elite group of nations capable of deploying intercontinental ballistic missiles. This would have made it a nuclear power to be reckoned with, even without the commissioning earlier this month of a second atomic submarine.
India’s nuclear build-up marks a significant strategic shift in the region. For decades its missiles have been designed with Pakistan in mind. Today relations with its old enemy are improving and the focus of tensions is shifting eastward. China’s accelerated build-up of military infrastructure across south Asia – including along the disputed Himalayan border – has drawn attention to the relatively poor state of India’s defences. With the long-range missile, India now has a credible second-strike capability.