New Delhi: Days after one of its unarmed supersonic missile crashed into Pakistan, India on Tuesday asserted its missile system was reliable and the safety procedures were of the highest order.
Giving this assurance in Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed “regret” over the incident. Noting that the accidental firing was taken seriously by the Government, Rajnath also informed both Houses that a high level probe was ordered to find out the cause.
A review of standard operating procedures was also initiated, he said. In his statement in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister said, “I would like to brief this august House about an incident that took place on March 9, 2022
This incident relates to inadvertent release of a missile during inspection. During routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released at around 7 pm.”
The Minister said it was later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. “While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident. I would like to inform the august House that Government has taken serious note of the incident,” he said.
Pointing out that Government has ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident, the Minister said a review of the Standard Operating Procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections was being conducted. “We attach highest priority to safety and security of our weapon systems.
If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified, he said. “I can assure the House that the missile system is very 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 well experienced in handling such systems,” he said. A missile launched from a base in Sirsa crashed more than 140 km inside Pakistan in an area called Mian Channu.
Pakistan summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad two days later to lodge a protest.
It also called for a joint probe by both the countries while expressing dissatisfaction over an Indian Defence Ministry statement regretting the incident.
Islamabad termed the statement as a “simplistic explanation.” Backing India’s stand, the United States said there is no indication that the recent firing of a missile from India which landed in Pakistan was anything other than accidental. While China had backed Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe, the US said it was an accident. “We have no indication, as you also heard from our Indian partners, that this incident was anything other than an accident," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday. (Agencies)
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