WASHINGTON, MARCH 28: India and Pakistan are in a process of building longer-range missiles to have military supremacy over each other in the region, a Pentagon official told the Washington Times.The official said Pakistan will have a 700-mile range ballistic missile while India is working on a longer range version of the Agni missile with a 1,250-mile range.Against the background of a publication now being readied at the Pentagon on the ``ballistic and cruise missile threat,'' the official said that the longer-range missiles of India, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and other countries ``are strategic systems and most can be armed with non-conventional warheads''.Without identifying which country worried the Pentagon most, the official said, ``The new missiles could be used in regional conflicts, armed with nuclear, chemical or biological warheads or against US troops abroad. There is also the danger that they might be transferred to rogue nations.''Pentagon officials said that Russiaand China are developing new short-range missiles called the SSX-26 and CSSX-7 respectively having range greater than 185 miles.According to these officials, 19 developing nations currently possess short-range ballistic missiles and six others have acquired or are building longer-range missiles with ranges greater than 600 miles.Meanwhile, Lt Gen Lester Lyles, director of the Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation, identified Iran's two new medium-range ballistic missiles as Shahab-3 and Shahab-4.He said, Shahab-3 will have a range of about 800 miles and Shahab-4 will be able to hit targets 1,240 miles away. US Intelligence officials have said that both Russia and China have provided materials and technology for them.``The development of long-range ballistic missiles,'' said a Pentagon official, ``is part of Iran's effort to become a major regional power. Iran could field a medium-range ballistic missile in the first half of the next decade.''A chart provided by Lt Gen Lyles listed the range ofChina's CSS-2 nuclear missile as 1,860 miles. CSS-2 missiles were exported to Saudi Arabia, which purchased about 40 of them. China has deployed an equal number for more than 25 years.According to an intelligence report, the CSS-2 is being replaced by China's new and more capable CSS-5 with a range of about 1,333 miles and a more accurate version is awaiting deployment.North Korea has Nodong, with a 620-mile range and three longer-range missiles dubbed Nodong and Taepodong 1 and 2. With ranges between 600 and 3,700 miles.
