The US has expressed its concern over India’s recent successful underwater K4 missile launch.
The US State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said such actions could potentially “increase” the risk to nuclear security and have an impact on regional security.
“So we continue to urge all states with nuclear weapons to exercise restraint regarding their missile and nuclear capabilities,” Toner said when asked about recent ballistic missile test by India.
He said the State Department official had shared its concerns with New Delhi.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) flight-tested an underwater-launched missile called K-4 with a range of about 3,000 km on March 24.
The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 metres deep in the sea off the Visakhapatnam coast. The missile met some of the critical parameters during the exercise.
The two-stage missile will carry nuclear warheads, forming the lethal payload of India’s nuclear-powered submarines, which are under construction.
ajaishukla
India is the fifth country in the world to have a missile launched underwater.
Nearly 10 development trials of K-15 missile have already been completed from pontoons submerged in the Bay of Bengal over the past few years.