杏吧原创

India has conducted short-range tests of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload. The move has increased tension with neighbouring nuclear power Pakistan

But military experts warn that any conflict between the two would be mutually catastrophic. 鈥淧akistan and India would be foolish to start lobbing nuclear missiles at each other because they would be affected by their own fallout,鈥� says Bhupendra Jasani, at King鈥檚 College London.

This is because the nuclear warheads possessed by India and Pakistan are not suited to short-range conflict, he says. They both own kiloton nuclear weapons, but not sub-kiloton weapons, which are needed for short range.

The missile test took place over the Bay of Bengal, North-East India. A spokeswoman for the Indian government said that the test was planned before recent events worsened relations between the two countries.

鈥淧rejudicial to stability鈥�

A Pakistani foreign office statement described the latest test as 鈥減rejudicial to the pursuit of stability in our region, especially during the current situation鈥�. It comes just a month after India鈥檚 parliament was attacked by suicide bombers, allegedly from a Pakistani-funded organisation.

Duncan Lennox, editor of the specialist publication Jane鈥檚 Strategic Weapons agrees that the two countries are unprepared for nuclear conflict. 鈥淭hat is a very valid point,鈥� he says.

The ballistic missile that underwent testing is reported to have a range of 700 kilometres. Lennox notes that India鈥檚 Agni II, first tested in 2001, has a range of 700 to 3000 km. The test missile therefore could have been an Agni II or a short-range version, he says.

Jasani say that testing is a long process and is not convinced that India has the nuclear weapons for this missile. He believes that India may be more concerned about another neighbour with nuclear-capability 鈥� China.