Context
India has acknowledged misfiring of an unarmed missile in the airspace of Pakistan due to technical malfunction.
Relevance
GS-II: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
GS-II: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Dimensions of the Articles
- Provisions for Conducting such tests.
- Why the Technical Malfunction?
- What Next?
- Way Forward
Provisions for Conducting such Tests
- Pre-Notification of Flight Testing of Ballistic Missiles Agreement 2005 makes sure that both countries inform each other in advance about any test that they conduct of any land or sea launched surface-to-surface missile.
- Before conduction of this test, The country conducting it issues NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) and NAVAREA(Navigational Warning) to alert flights and ships in the area.
- It is also ensured by the testing nation that the testing site is not within 40kms of the International Boundary or the Line of Control.
- The Test apparatus should not cross the International Boundary or the Line of Control.
- The information is shared at the High Commission level.
- General of Pakistan’s Army however stated that for such missiles the information is not shared among the two countries.
- This has given rise to the speculations that the missile was indeed a BrahMos.
Why the Technical Malfunction?
- It is being said that the Missile changes its trajectory mid air to fly into Pakistan.
- Such malfunctions are highly rare.
- A cruise missile is given target coordinates and after that it’s on its own.
- First Possibility, Wrong coordinates were given to it. However this seems little improbable since it changed direction midway.
- Second Possibility, Jamming the missile midway via cyber means and changing its coordinates.
- Third Possibility, Corruption of the target data that was fed into the missile.
What Next?
- India has ordered a high level enquiry into the incident and has assured accountability. It has also regretted the incident.
- Pakistan on the other hand has condemned the incident and raised the issue with the Indian High Commission.
- Though it is not a conducive situation between the two nuclear capable nations, both nations have handled with maturity which is a great example in the international community.
Way Forward
Such an incident to occur is very rare and can be attributed to technical malfunction. Both countries presently have no interest in indulging in conflict at a time when already the world is facing a geopolitical tsunami with Russia-Ukraine Crisis. Though India must ensure that it’s testing apparatus and machinery must be fully functional with no vulnerabilities.
Source – Indian Express
