A Pakistani journalist appeared to stumble on a key factual detail while questioning US secretary of war Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, asking for Washington’s view on India’s alleged “Agni-6 ICBM test”, a missile test that India has not officially conducted.The question came amid a discussion on nuclear deterrence and long-range missile programmes in South Asia.Referring to recent US concerns over Pakistan’s potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ambitions, the journalist asked Hegseth: “Recently Pakistan’s potential ICBM program was identified as a threat to US. I wanted your comment on India’s Agni-6 ICBM test with a range of ~12,000 km which could potentially place parts of US and Europe in its reach.”However, India has not announced or confirmed any test of the Agni-6 missile.
Hegseth avoids taking the bait
In his response, Hegseth declined to single out either India or Pakistan as a threat to the United States.“India and Pakistan, two nuclear-capable countries. I think both sides there are going to see understandable threats coming from the other, maybe some of which we see differently, and countries are going to want to develop ICBM threats,” he said.“But we’re not pointing a finger, at least from our view right now, at either country and calling them a threat to us, and we’re grateful for, you know, in each of their lanes, the benefits they’ve given to peace around the world.”His remarks echoed comments he made earlier at the summit, where he said both countries would continue to view each other through the prism of security concerns.
Confusion over India’s recent missile test
The question appears to stem from speculation surrounding a missile launch carried out by India earlier this month.Ahead of the test, there was widespread buzz that India was preparing to flight-test the Agni-6 after Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir V Kamat said the organisation was technically ready and awaiting government approval.India had also issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), fuelling speculation.
For several hours after the launch, defence observers speculated that India may have finally tested the Agni-6, a missile often described as a future intercontinental-range system with a potential strike range exceeding 10,000 kilometres.However, the defence ministry later clarified that the test involved an advanced Agni missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology rather than the Agni-6.
What India actually tested
The ministry confirmed that the missile was successfully tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast and carried multiple payloads aimed at different targets spread across a large area in the Indian Ocean Region.
The launch marked the second publicly known test of the MIRV-capable Agni-5 variant, also known as “Mission Divyastra”. MIRV technology enables a single ballistic missile to carry multiple warheads capable of striking different targets, significantly increasing its effectiveness.India’s officially declared Agni-5 range remains over 5,000 kilometres, placing large parts of Asia, including China, within reach. The government has not officially disclosed the existence, specifications or testing timeline of the Agni-6 missile.
Pakistan’s focus on Indian missile capabilities
The question also comes against the backdrop of Pakistan’s rejection of US intelligence assessments that cited Islamabad’s missile programme among potential long-term threats to the United States.Reacting to the allegations, Pakistan’s foreign ministry argued that its missile programme was aimed solely at deterrence against India and claimed that “India’s development of missile capabilities exceeding 12,000 kilometres reflects a trajectory that extends beyond regional security considerations”.The ministry’s comments followed then-US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard’s identification of Pakistan as one of the countries posing the greatest nuclear threat to the United States, alongside Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea.She pointed out that these nations are actively developing new missile delivery systems capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads, which could potentially target the US.While speculation about an Indian ICBM programme has persisted for years, New Delhi has not announced the testing of any missile with a declared range of around 12,000 kilometres.