Rajnath Singh says SOPs being reviewed after Pakistan missile incident
The defence minister said the inadvertent release of the missile took place during routine inspection and maintenance of the system.
Days after India accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday expressed regret over the incident, and said that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for “operations, maintenance, and inspection” of such systems were being reviewed.
In a statement in both Houses of Parliament on the March 9 incident, Singh said, “We attach the highest priority to safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified.”
He assured the House the Indian missile system is reliable and safe. “Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our armed forces are well-trained and disciplined and are experienced in handling such systems.”
He said the inadvertent release of the missile took place during routine inspection and maintenance of the system around 7pm. He said it was later learnt the missile landed in Pakistan.
“While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt. I would like to inform the House that the government has taken serious note of the incident. A formal high-level inquiry has been ordered. The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the said accident,” he said.
Two days after the accidental launch, India on March 11 attributed the unheard-of incident to a technical malfunction during routine maintenance. Pakistan registered a strong protest over the “unprovoked violation of its airspace by a supersonic flying object of Indian origin.”
While India did not name the missile that was fired accidentally, officials said it could have been the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile without a warhead. Experts said such incidents could create complications keeping in mind both countries are nuclear-armed and have a history of conflict.
Both sides, however, avoided a hostile or escalatory tone.
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The defence minister made a balanced statement in Parliament on the missile incident, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. “He accepted that something went wrong, and corrective steps are being taken,” he added.
The charge d’affaires of India in Islamabad was last week summoned to the Pakistan foreign office over the missile incident. Pakistan said the “supersonic flying object” entered its territory from Suratgarh in Rajasthan at 6.43pm PST and fell to the ground near Mian Chunnu city around 6.50pm.
The Indian diplomat was told to convey to New Delhi Pakistan’s condemnation of the “blatant violation of its airspace in contravention of the established international norms and aviation safety protocols”.
At a media briefing on March 10, a Pakistani military officer said its air defence network picked up the flying object near Sirsa in Haryana around 104km from the international border an altitude of 40,000 feet. He said it was flying at a speed of Mach 2.5 to Mach 3. The missile appeared to be heading towards the Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan, but after travelling 70 to 80km, it changed track to head north-west towards Pakistani airspace, he added.
In a statement on March 12, Pakistan said the incident raised questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment. Islamabad demanded a joint probe and asked India to explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches. It asked how the missile turned and entered into its airspace and whether it was equipped with self-destruct mechanism.
“India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements…Given the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by the other side could lead to countermeasures in self-defence with grave consequences,” the March 12 statement said.
Former IAF vice chief Air Marshal KK Nohwar (retd) said both sides showed maturity in dealing with the incident and didn’t allow things to escalate.
