North Korea, India and Pakistan launched a total of about
37, some capable of carrying nuclear weapons in 2016 making it one the busiest
years for medium-to-long-range missile tests in recent memory.
North Korea reportedly carried out about 25 medium to long
range missile test launches of which just one was claimed as a success by
Pyongyang. India carried out seven while Pakistan launched four, and China
launched one.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea started 2016 with conducting its fourth nuclear
weapons test on January 6. Pyongyang announced it as a success with the
detonation of a miniaturized hydrogen bomb.
On February 7, North fired a long-range rocket. It claimed
that the rocket was carrying a satellite which was viewed as a front for
testing an intercontinental ballistic missile by US, Japan and South Korea.
Pyongyang tested a Musudan, an intermediate-range ballistic
missile on April 15, a month after the UN imposed a ban on North Korea to carry
out nuclear tests and against usage of ballistic missile technology under
Resolution 2270.
North Korea also fired a submarine-launched ballistic
missile (SLBM) on April 23. The missile blew up minutes after the launch. This
was the second SLBM tested by North Korea. The first one was attempted in 2015.
Later, in the same week, on April 28, Pyongyang tested two
more Musadan missiles. On May 30, North Korea carried out another Musadan
launch. All of these failed.
North Korea posted success of Musadan ICBM on June 21, after
it tested two more Musadan missiles. One of them was partially successful, it
claimed.
A submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was tested on
July 9 which exploded after flying for 6 miles.
The test was carried out after the US agreed to equip South
Korea with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles on July 8.
Three more ballistic missiles with a range of 500 kilometers
to 600 kilometers were fired on July 18. North attempted two more No Dong
ballistic missile launches, this time about 124 miles off the Japanese coast.
One of them landed in the Sea of Japan. On August 24, North reportedly fired a
SLBM from its eastern coast.
Three medium-range Rodong-class ballistic missiles from
Hwangju were tested. North Korea conducted second in the year and fifth overall
nuclear test on September 9.
South Korea's President, Park Geun-hye, called the test an
act of "fanatic recklessness." President Barack Obama condemned the
launch and said in a statement, "the United States does not, and never will,
accept North Korea as a nuclear state."
Two nuclear-capable US bombers flew over a military base in
South Korea on September 13 in a show of force meant to warn North Korea.
North Korea carried out a failed test of another Musudan
ICBM test on October 15 and another on October 19.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan successfully test fired indigenously developed
Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Ra’ad on January 20 last year.
The missile is approximately five metres long and could
weigh up to 1,000kg. Special “terrain hugging low level flight manoeuvres
enable it to avoid detection and engagement by contemporary air defence
systems,” according to the Inter-Services Public Relations statement.
Pakistan has test-fired a shore-based anti-ship missile, ‘Zarb’ on
April 12, The maximum range allotted for the test was set at 300km.
Pakistan on December 15 conducted a successful test of an
enhanced version of its indigenously developed Babur Cruise Missile
Pakistan fired a Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) Babur-3 capable
of carrying a nuclear warhead from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean
on January 9, 2017.
INDIA
India test fired Prithvi-II ballistic missile with a payload
capacity of 500-1000 kg in November 2016. The Prithvi-I will reportedly be
withdrawn from service and upgraded.
India tested Agni-I ballistic missile with a range of 700
kms and payload capacity of 1000 kg in November 2016.
Agni-V ballistic missile with a range of over 5000 kms and
payload capacity of 1000 kg in December 2016.
The K-4, Submarine launched Ballistic missile (SLBM) was
reportedly tested twice in March 2016. The first test was on March 7, and the
second on March 31. The March 31 test was the first conducted from the INS
Arihant ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).
The Indian Air Force test-fired an advanced land version of
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on May 27, 2016. It is also capable of being
launched from submarine from a depth of 40-50 metres. In 2013, it was
successfully launched from a submerged platform.
Nirbhay cruise missile with an operational range of 1000 km
and a payload of 450 kg launched in December 2016, the test was not successful
following two failures and one partial success. The last test was conducted in
2015.
CHINA
The DN-3 test took place in early December and was couched
as a missile defense interceptor test in a bid by the Chinese military to mask
its development of anti-satellite capabilities.
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