“India Tests Ballistic Missile, Posing New Threat to China” This article was found on the New York Times website. It was published on January 18, 2018 and is titled, “India Tests Ballistic Missile, Posing New Threat to China.” The authors of this article are Kai Schultz and Hari Kumar. The article is about the long range intercontinental ballistic missile that India tested on Thursday (Agni-V) and how China could be affected by India as a rapidly growing nuclear power. On January 18, 2018, Agni-V was test launched from an island off the coast of the state of Odisha. The Indian Defense Ministry has stated that the test was merely for technical purposes, but it can easily be presumed that India is stepping up its defenses in case of an attack. With a 5,000 mile strike range, Agni-V could easily hit China’s major cities, which contain most of its population. The article also mentioned a recent border dispute between China and India over remote lands in the Himalayas, which gives us background on why India could have tested the missile, especially at such a tense time in its relationship with China. On a related note, India has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which is "a legally binding global ban on nuclear explosive testing," as stated in the third link at the end of this post. This treaty essentially bars all nations entering into it from testing new missiles or advancing their nuclear weapons programs. As of right now, 13 countries (including India) have not signed the treaty, namely Bhutan, Cuba, Dominica, India, Mauritius, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Agni-V was fired from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the Indian state of Odisha on the morning of January 18, 2018 in India time and traveled 3,000 miles in 19 minutes. The Indian Defense Ministry test -fired the Agni-V in order to test its ejection, flight performance, and accuracy. Agni-V is a long range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with nuclear capabilities, a strike range of over 5,000 miles, and a payload of 1.5 tons. It is thought to be the most advanced missile of the Agni series and was test fired four times previously since 2012. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty is, as stated earlier, a global ban on nuclear weapons testing. It was put in place by President John F. Kennedy, but was open for signature in 1996. For countries without expertise in nuclear capabilities, it prevents them from advancing their nuclear capabilities. For those who have more advanced nuclear weapons programs, the treaty does not allow them to confirm the performance of advanced nuclear weapons designs that they have not tested successfully in the past. I believe that while it is good that India has started to build up its nuclear arsenal, continually testing its missiles could put the safety of not only other countries but that of its own citizens at risk. Not signing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty also poses the threat of a regional arms race as its nuclear program becomes more advanced. In the future, India's signing the treaty would contribute much to relative peace and diplomacy between all nations, particularly China. The first link is to my article and the one below that is to the CNN website, where I did some more research on my topic. The third link is to a site giving information on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/world/asia/india-ballistic-missile-icbm.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FIndia&action=click&contentCollection=world®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=collec www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/asia/india-icbm-tests/index.html www.state.gov/t/avc/c42328.htm I will be commenting on Matthew E.'s and Michael's blog posts.
2 Comments
Matthew Evans
1/25/2018 10:17:50 pm
First of all, I want to say that your story was very well written and very thoroughly researched, so great job! I do wonder what might happen if India doesn't or does decide to sign the peace treaty for nuclear warheads. What will happen between the country and it's allies? Also could the country become more of a threat or more vulnerable based on the decisions of the government over this controversial issue? Perhaps future events could capture some answers behind these questions. What do you think of India's role as a country with nuclear warheads? Also, what path do you think is best for a country like India to take pertaining to the issue?
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Michael Quinn
1/26/2018 05:57:06 pm
I am really intrigued and also a bit worried about this news. You made the report sound interesting and you went into a lot of detail about the missile. It was nice to hear how the missile can be tested and it's capabilities because concepts of its physics are interesting to hear about. Though, I am worried about the country of India using missiles to do harm onto other countries or their own country. I hope they wouldn't do anything drastic. My question is, if India doesn't sign the nuclear test ban treaty, how would India use these missiles? Would you think that they'll use them as a self-defense or do you think they have another plan?
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