Though India termed supersonic cruise missile BrahMos’s testing at its Pokhran firing range as successful, a section of the local media questioned its success and reported that the missile lost track. The local residents said the missile landed on dry grass spreading over 8 to 10 kilometres in the area and it took four hours to control the fire. The police, however, confirmed the incident of fire, but feigned ignorance about the cause.
The defence spokesperson described the BrahMos testing as most successful. “The Indian Army unit successfully launched the BrahMos missile and destroyed the elected targets,” said a defence official. According to the Indian Army, BarhMos has the capability of attacking surface targets by flying as low as 10 meters in altitude. The villagers, however, said a dry grassland in the open area caught fire after a big sound on Sunday. “We saw the fire after a loud blast,” says Swaroop Singh, a resident of Ajasar village located close to the firing range. “I think the missile lost track,” said Mr Singh while speaking over phone. “Yes, there was an incident of fire on Sunday and our officials rushed to the spot. Since there was no loss of life or loss of property, our officials returned back. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertain,” said Mamta Bishnoi, Jaisalmer SP.
On the other hand, India and the US started a bilateral military exercise in the deserts of Rajasthan from Monday, involving mechanised forces.
An advance group of about 30 US military personnel, along with a platoon of Stryker Recon, has arrived in the state. The joint excercise has been designed to promote cooperation between the two militaries at a tactical level. Defence sources said troops from both nations will engage in joint planning for a variety of missions.