Security Analysts Seek Anti-Missile System Needed: Analyst

India will have to acquire anti-missile systems like that of the United States' Patriot missile following Pakistan's demonstration of a low yield nuclear bomb and the testing of its delivery system, the Ghauri missiles.

Security analysts feel a Russian anti-missile system should be immediately inducted. Also the development of the "Akash" anti-missile battery should be intensified to build a defensive wall against Pakistani missiles.

Former Chief of Air Staff N C Suri said a defensive mechanism against enemy missiles was necessary and that it could be already existing.

India has been developing a satellite-guided Patriot-like missile called Akash since 1993 that is supposed to seek out and hit incoming missiles. Besides, it has been talking to the Russians to purchase their advanced anti-missile system to serve an immediate need.

Indian sources said a protection system against missiles existed these were both counter-missiles as well as electronic to confuse the enemy missile's guidance system. "A lot of work has been done in India on electronic warfare and we are fairly advanced".

Pakistan's top defence scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan said his country had sounded a "missile red alert" on Thursday following reports that India was planning to attack its nuclear installations at Kahuta.

A Reuters report from Islamabad quoting Khan said the missiles had now been called back from the undisclosed sites of their deployment.

The missiles were deployed on Wednesday when Pakistan said it had "credible information" of an Indian plan to attack its nuclear installations , and later threatened that such an act would be met by "a swift and massive retaliation", the report said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister George Fernandez said in an interview to a private TV Channel, Home TV to be telecast tomorrow, "we don't need to go for any more testing, whatever we needed to know we got it".

He however added in response to a question about whether this means no more testing, "in terms of a country's security on does not say the last word at any point in time".