Brahmos: Missile system safe, India reviewing weapons system operations
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India is re-examining its weapons system operations, maintenance and inspection methods.
According to Reuters, while briefing the Parliament on the issue of Indian missiles falling into Pakistani territory in recent days, Rajnath Singh said, "We give high priority to the safety and security of our weapons system and if any If any deficiency is found, it will be rectified immediately.
His statement came at a time when a missile was fired at Pakistan by an Indian during a routine inspection on Wednesday last week. The missile landed near the Pakistani city of Mian Channu in which no casualties were reported as the warhead of the missile was not active.
Following the incident, Pakistan demanded a joint investigation into the "serious omission" and sought clarification from New Delhi on existing security measures to prevent future "accidental missile firing".
Although tensions between the two countries have eased in recent months, military experts have in the past warned of the possibility of such "mistakes" between the two nuclear-armed states. Three regular wars have been fought between India and Pakistan.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh further said that India has started a high level investigation into the incident. He informed the parliament that no one was injured in the incident.
"I assure the House (Parliament) that our missile system is very safe and reliable," said Rajnath Singh. However, he did not specify what type of missile was launched.
"Our security measures and protocols are of the highest standard and are reviewed from time to time," he said.
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It may be recalled that on March 11, the Indian Ministry of Defense had admitted in a statement that on March 9, a missile falling within Pakistan's borders had accidentally fired from India, which has been ordered to be investigated at the highest level.
A statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense said, "The missile was accidentally fired on March 9 due to a technical glitch during routine maintenance."
The statement added that although the accident was "extremely tragic, we are pleased to know that no casualties were reported."
It may be recalled that the Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with the German Foreign Minister yesterday on which among other issues of mutual interest the incident of Indian missile falling in Pakistani territory was also discussed.
According to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry, Shah Mehmood had on March 9, 2022, informed his German counterpart about the "violation of Pakistan's airspace by India through missiles and the grave threats to the region."
The foreign minister said it was not enough for India to call the missile an "accidental" fire and admit a mistake.
Earlier on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, speaking on the demand for a "joint investigation" proposed by Pakistan on the incident, said that there should be direct talks between the two neighboring countries.