In early December, India issued four Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) warning of a long-range missile test it would conduct over the Indian Ocean. The first indicated a 3,500-kilometer danger zone. The second notice revised that range to 1,000 kilometres and delayed the test window to 11 December. The third re-extended the zone to 3,550 kilometres and rescheduled the test again for 17–20 December. A fourth moved the test to 22–24 December. NOTAMS of this kind can indicate a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). This could therefore be a test of India’s K4 SLBM, which is nuclear-capable and has a range of 3,500 kilometres.
An imminent Indian ballistic missile test highlights escalation risks in the Indian Ocean (Nitya Labh – Chatham House)
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