CISS Voices | India’s Nuclear Gambit: Recent Missile Testing and the South Asian Strategic Stability
- On 17th July 2025, India conducted tests of its nuclear-capable Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs) Prithvi II and Agni I, launched from the integrated test sites at Chandipur, Odisha. The Strategic Forces Command oversaw the missile tests. According to their claims, the tests fulfilled all operational and technical parameters. These missiles had previously been tested, meeting similar operational but with less technical standards at that time, and were also intended to target deep inside Pakistan.
- However, the retesting is a signaling by India regarding its capability to communicate a perceived credible threat and response, particularly in the aftermath of the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict. This leads to the question: Does the retesting indicate a shift in doctrinal posture? The following analysis presents the technical parameters of the retested Prithvi II and Agni I. It also examines India’s increasingly aggressive posture, which is characterized by improving missile capabilities, departure from its stated doctrinal positions, and deliberately moving to counterforce options.
Author: Saad Riaz (
@SaadSagittarius)
Read More:
blog.ciss.org.pk/indias-nucl…
#India #SouthAsia #SRBMs #MissileTesting #StrategicStudies