Missile Accident: Mishaps Like This Are Dangerous And Can Start A War
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-03-14 13:49:45
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The India Commentary view
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An accident, by its very definition, is something that is unfortunate and happens unexpectedly and unintentionally. But when it happens with something as dangerous as a missile, it is a matter of huge concern. The accidental firing of a BrahMos missile from Sirsa was unfortunate and shows that the checks and balances in place to avoid such a mishap failed. The army has already ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Fortunately, the accidental firing did not lead to anything more serious than a diplomatic row. There are no reports of any one getting injured or anything getting hit on the Pakistani side. But the fact remains that if the missile was detected by Pakistani radars and if Pakistan had taken it as an unprovoked attack from the Indian side and retaliated, it could have had disastrous consequences.
It is well known that missiles and warheads are kept separately and warheads are never used during training. But how would have the Pakistanis known that it was an accidental firing during regular maintenance? The inquiry must focus on the systemic checks in place that are designed to prevent such a mishap and find out what went wrong. The entire chain of events must be reconstructed and those responsible must be punished.
India is looking to export the BrahMos missile system. If such mishaps happen, then trust will diminish. Although the failure was not of the BrahMos missile but an accidental firing can lead people to question the technology. Also, mishaps like this can happen again and from both sides. Although both India and Pakistan showed maturity in dealing with the recent incident, there is no guarantee that they will act similarly in case something like this happens again. Hence, they must have a mechanism in place to reduce the risks of war in case of immediate retaliation by the other side if something happens accidentally from one side.
picture courtesy: news.unsi.org
