14 hours ago
(RTTNews) - China has claimed to be a decade ahead of India in terms of missile technology despite the assertion of a top Indian military scientist about the greater accuracy of the latter's missiles, days after New Delhi test-fired its 3,500 km-range Agni-III.
The Beijing-based state-run international edition of "Global Times" quoted Rear-Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong, a professor at the prestigious Chinese National Defense University, saying India was still 10 to 15 years behind China in terms of missile technology.
Discounting concerns that newer versions of India's Agni missiles could strike northernmost tips of China, he said India might take five more years to achieve this capability, and asserted that Beijing did not view New Delhi as its "strategic rival."
The report also cited Chinese military strategists as dismissing media claims about India being far ahead of China in ballistic missile defense (BMD) system technology.
"India's technology for its measurement and control system, which is used to trace launched missiles, remains at a very low level, and they (the Indians) are unable to constitute a complete and reliable missile defense system," Zhang was quoted as saying.
The report noted that Beijing had test-fired its first missile interception system in January 2010, and successfully tested its anti-satellite system in 2007. It noted that the United States and Russia were so far the only two countries who actually deployed the missile-interceptor technology.
The Chinese report came after India's 3,500-km-range Agni-III nuclear-capable missile passed tests and was ready for induction, and as New Delhi readies to test within a year the 5,000-km range Agni-V nuclear-capable missile. Both the missiles will add muscle to India's "dissuasive deterrence" position on China.
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