Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said the missile, tested at around 8:50 am (0320 GMT) from the Chandipur test range off the eastern coastal state of Orissa, had a range of less than 700 kilometers (440 miles).

"The test was taken in a non-provocative manner across international waters," Rao said, adding that Pakistan had been informed in advance, along with the five nuclear powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

"We are perfectly convinced about the legitimacy of this step," Rao said. "We have no intention to engage in an arms race."

India and Pakistan have been poised for war since New Delhi blamed two Pakistan-based militant groups for the deadly December 13 attack on its parliament.

The nuclear neighbours have massed an estimated 800,000 troops on their common border and India has refused to reduce its deployment until Pakistan takes sufficient steps to stop what the government here terms "cross-border terrorism."

Rao insisted that the test had been planned far in advance and the timing on the eve of India's Republic Day was determined "solely by technical factors" and was not meant to send any political message.

"It has no political significance or relationship to any political event."

The Agni I missile has a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers (940 miles), making it capable of reaching targets deep inside Pakistani territory and parts of China.

India's last Agni test was in January 2001 of the Agni II, which has a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers (1,560 miles).

Pakistan had condemned that test as a "direct threat" to its national security.

Friday's test came a day after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on a visit to Islamabad, stressed the need for an immediate military de-escalation on the Indo-Pakistan border.

The Agni series is considered crucial to India's plans for developing an effective nuclear deterrent following its shock underground nuclear tests in May 1998, which were met by Pakistan conducting its own tests.

The Indian tests also sent ties with Beijing into a downward spiral after New Delhi cited a perceived threat from neighbouring China as part justification.

Chinese Premier Zhu Ronji visited India earlier this month.

The intermediate range of the Agni, which means "Fire" in Hindi, is seen more as a threat to China than to Pakistan, which can be reached with the 250 kilometer-range "Prithvi" (Earth) missile.

Unlike the Agni, the Prithvi has already been inducted for use by the army.

While any Indian missile test risks upsetting Islamabad, analysts here argued that there were dangers in reading a purely anti-Pakistan message into the latest launch.

"I think we should not make this linkage because India has been consistent... that as far as strategic capabilities are concerned for both the missile and nuclear programmes... they are not country specific," said Commodore U. Bhaskar, deputy director of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Analyses.

Bhaskar pointed out that January and early February had always been considered the prime window for testing because of the optimum weather conditions for tracking the missile's trajectory.

Meanwhile US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill said Thursday that the standoff between nuclear powers India and Pakistan remains "dangerous."

"Obviously the tension between India and Pakistan including along the LoC (Line of Control) continues to be dangerous," said Blackwill, referring to the de facto border in disputed Kashmir.

"It is worrisome when you have two armies next to one another fully forward, deployed and ready. One worries about a spark setting it off," Blackwill told reporters.

India and Pakistan have amassed thousands of troops along their borders following a deadly attack on the Indian parliament December 13. New Delhi blames the attack on Pakistan-based Muslim militants fighting its rule in Kashmir.

Asked if Tuesday's attack at the American Center in Calcutta was an attack on US interests, the ambassador said: "We have not ruled it out. We have not ruled anything in or out."

The ambasssador said investigations were underway to ascertain more facts about the attack.

"We have not come to any firm conclusion. We don't know yet exactly what the origins of the attack were. We are looking at it extremely hard and trying to gather every piece of evidence," he said.

Four policemen were killed and around 20 injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire with AK-47s at several dozen police guards changing duty in front of the center.

All rights reserved. � 2002 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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