Technical fault causes Indian missile to crash in Pakistan, says MoD in New Delhi

The Indian government has acknowledged that the crash of a supersonic missile in Pakistan was because of a technical malfunction.

The high-speed missile – launched on 9 March – travelled a distance of about 200 km, following its launch from Sirsa, Haryana, in India, before falling near Mian Channu in Pakistan's Punjab province.

In a statement issued on 11 March, India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, “In the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level court of enquiry. It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”

Indian media has reported that the missile launch coincided with a Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) at an Indian airbase in northern India. However, the MoD did not confirm this to Janes .

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said it acknowledged India's admission of the incident. However, the MoFA added that it raised several questions about Indian military protocols and safeguards.

“The grave nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment. Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” the MoFA said.