WASHINGTON The Indian government announced a new strategic weapons plan Tuesday in which the development and deployment of advanced, mobile ballistic missiles will play a key role.

The development of mobile missile technology indicates a growing sophistication in India's developing space program.

From a military standpoint, the strategy is aimed at use of its newly developed nuclear weapons in the event of hostilities but is also effective in shaping the evolution of regional strengths with rival Pakistan.

The policy contains a no-first-use pledge of atomic weapons in the event India is attacked. It says, however, in the event of the use of nuclear weapons on India the country would retaliate "in punitive nuclear weapons" use.

Indias military will also concentrate resources on the deployment of nuclear weapons on "aircraft, ships, and mobile land-based missiles," according to Indian spokespersons at the embassy in Washington.

Such mobile missiles would be a major technological advance for the country, who thus far has only developed a series of land-based fixed missile systems. Advanced guidance and tracking capabilities will also have to be developed to support such policies.

India today has five ballistic missiles under active development and three space launch vehicles in either flight test or operational launch. Two of the missile systems, the Prithvi 1 and 2, are deployed, with ranges of 150 and 250 km, and payload capabilities of 1,000 kg. and 500 kg., respectively.

The Prithvi 3 is in development today and, according to data published by the Centre for Defence and International Studies, it will have a range of 350 km and a payload throw weight of 500 kg.

Two more advanced missiles are also under active development, according to the CDIS. The Sagrika missile will have a 300 km. range when fired; its payload capabilities are not known to the west. The Agni missile now in prototype flight testing is to have a 2,500 mile range and carry 1,000 kg. in flight.

India has developed the SLV, PSLV, and GSLV space launch vehicles and has flown the launchers from its Sriharikota High Altitude Range on the East Coast of India.The PSLV is in operational status and has been used to launch several Indian research and science satellites into low Earth orbit.

The GSLV, a Delta-II class booster, is still in development status. When in operation, it will allow India to compete in the international commercial marketplace for geostationary communications satellite launches. The design of all of Indias commercial rockets is done at its Vikran Sarabhai Space Center.

The Indian government, in the midst of political campaigns that will result in a new government being elected this fall, also said it would structure its nuclear and missile forces so as to be able to survive a first strike attack against its missile sites. It also announced it would seek a treaty that would ban first use of nuclear weapons in warfare by all states.