VZCZCXRO0242
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #0731/01 0701306
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 101306Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0818
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6811
RHMFISS/11AF ELMENDORF AFB AK
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AFS CO
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0147

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KPRP MCAP MNUC PARM XD XF XE IN CH PK
SUBJECT: INDIA LAUNCHES A NEW SALVO IN ASIAN MISSILE RACE 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 20964 
     ¶B. NEW DELHI 04767 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius, for reasons 1.4 (a, b, d) 
 
¶1.  (S/NF) (NOTE: This cable is intended in part to fulfill 
reporting requirements outlined in SECSTATE 20964.  END 
NOTE.) SUMMARY: India successfully test-fired an 
indigenously-designed submerged ballistic missile on 
February 26, signaling its intent and eventual capability 
to launch submarine-based nuclear missiles.  Pakistan's 
Naval Chief publicly protested the test, claiming that 
India's actions would provoke a new arms-race in South 
Asia.  Both India and Pakistan have spurred forward with 
their indigenous missile production organizations during 
the past twelve months with visibly different aims. 
Pakistan has busily conducted multiple tests of its 
medium-ranged missile strike force with an eye towards 
deterring India, while India has instead focused on 
developing missile defense systems, long-range strikes, and 
sea-based missile strikes.  India clearly has a more remote 
and formidable threat than Pakistan in its sights, judging 
by the thrust of work in its strategic strike capability. 
END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (S/NF) India successfully launched a missile designated 
the Sagirika K-15 on February 26 from a submerged pontoon 
simulating a submarine.  Indian media described the missile 
as a two-stage, solid-propellant weapon weighing seven tons 
with a payload capacity of 500 to 600 kg, 6.5 meters in 
length, and having a range of 700 km.  India's 
state-operated Defense Research and Development 
Organization (DRDO) praised the test as proof that India 
now has capability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles from 
land, sea and air.  The DRDO announced its intentions to 
install the Sagirika missiles onto a submarine as soon 
possible. The first vessels to be fitted could be 
French-designed Scorpene or Russian-designed Akula 
submarines.  Indian scientists have been working in secret 
for more than 20 years on an indigenous nuclear-powered 
submarine, the so-called Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), 
and the MOD confirmed in late 2007 that its first 
operational test-cruise is scheduled for 2009.  Pakistan's 
Naval Chief Admiral Tahir publicly protested the K-15 test, 
noting to press this "is going to start a new arms race in 
the region - this is a very serious issue." 
 
¶3.  (S/NF) India and Pakistan signed an agreement in 2005 
detailing protocols for conducting non-hostile ballistic 
missile tests, including a requirement to notify each 
other's government in advance of any live-fire test. 
Between August 2007 and February 2008, Islamabad availed 
itself of this protocol on at least five separate 
occasions, launching live-fire tests of nearly all of its 
known strategic missile arsenal, including: 
 
-- August 2007: the 350 km-range "Ra-ad" (Hatf 8) 
air-launched cruise missile 
-- December 2007: the 700 km-range "Babur" (Hatf 7) cruise 
missile 
-- January 2008: the 700 km-range "Shaheen 1" (Hatf 4) 
ballistic missile 
-- February 2008: the 1,300 km-range "Gauri" (Hatf 5) 
ballistic missile 
-- February 2008: the 300 km-range "Ghaznavi" (Hatf 3) 
ballistic missile 
 
¶4.  (S/NF) During the same time period, New Delhi conducted 
live-fire tests of a number of ballistic missiles, 
including: 
 
-- August 2007: the 3000 km-range Agni 3 ballistic missile 
-- October 2007: the 700 km-range Agni 1 ballistic missile 
-- February 2008: the 700 km-range "Sagirika" (K-15) 
submerged-launch ballistic missile (SLBM) 
-- March 2008: the 290 km-range "Brahmos" cruise missile, 
 
NEW DELHI 00000731  002 OF 002 
 
 
sea-to-land test 
 
 
India conducted live-fire tests of indigenously-designed 
missile-defense missiles, one in December 2006 and the 
second type in December 2007.  These missiles, modified 
versions of the short-range Indian Prithvi ballistic 
missile, were test-fired to intercept live ballistic 
missiles simulating incoming enemy missiles. The DRDO 
publicly announced January 2007 its intentions to 
test-launch a so-called "Agni 4" ballistic missile with a 
reported range of 5000+ km sometime in 2008. 
 
COMMENT: INDIAN CLAIMS OF MISSILE PROWESS ARE PREMATURE 
 
¶5.  (S/NF) BEGIN COMMENT: The Indian press and DRDO boasted 
that the K-15 test places India firmly in the exclusive 
club of nations (the U.S., Russia, France and China) with 
the ability to launch submerged ballistic missiles - neatly 
glossing over the fact that India remains, for several more 
years, completely dependent on foreign-made submarines from 
which to launch.  Even if the ATV sub is successfully 
inducted into the Indian arsenal on time, Delhi will still 
need years more to install the K-15 system into the ATV and 
to master the technology of successfully conducting 
submerged ballistic launches.  The DRDO claim that India 
has the ability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles from the 
air is presumably a reference to the planned deployment of 
the Brahmos cruise missile as an air-launched missile slung 
under a SU-30 attack aircraft.  This claim is also 
premature, as the successful airborne-launch of the Brahmos 
is at least one year away, in 2009. 
 
INDIAN SEA-STRIKE CAPABILITY NOT SOLELY INTENDED FOR 
PAKISTAN 
 
¶6.  (S/NF) India has succeeded in a critical step towards 
adding the formidable option - a sea-based strike - to its 
strategic missile arsenal, making Islamabad's public 
expression of angst understandable. The majority of 
Pakistani cities lie easily within reach of existing Indian 
land-based Agni missiles, and only one sits within logical 
striking distance of a sea-borne missile launch - Karachi. 
India's SLBM is intended to deter not Pakistan but rather 
China, the only other country on India's border that can 
pose an existential threat. END COMMENT. 
 
MULFORD