India8217;s undersea missile test could trigger arms race: Pak

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at the shipyard in Karachi, Tahir said: 8220;Well my reaction is that this is going to start a new arms race in the region. We are aware of these developments which are taking place with a view to putting nuclear weapons at sea and this is a very serious issue.8221;

He said the testing of the new missile would have an impact on the entire region.

The Pakistan Navy is tracking India8217;s missile development programme and will take steps to counter the impact of the testing of the undersea missile, he said.

The Indian undersea missile, codenamed K-15, has a range of 700 km and was fired from a pontoon immersed in the sea as India did not have a submarine for such an exercise.

India is the fifth country after the US, Russia, France and China to possess such a capability. The launch of the K-15 will enhance India8217;s nuclear deterrence, as sea-launched missiles will be a crucial part of the country8217;s second-strike capability.