Story highlights The missile is capable of carrying a nuclear payload, according to analyst

India conducted its own missile test in December

Hong Kong (CNN) The Pakistani army has successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile from a submarine for the first time, less than a month after India launched its Agni-V missile.

Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of Pakistan's military, says its missile, the Babur-3, will help bolster the country's defenses as its neighbors develop their own technology.

ISPR called the test "a manifestation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategies and postures being adopted in Pakistan's neighborhood," which could be read as a veiled reference to India.

Retired Pakistani army officer, Lt. General Talat Masood told CNN this attempt by Pakistan to develop a genuine second-strike capability, is "only the beginning".

But maintaining second-strike capability -- the ability to hit an adversary back after already being attack -- with a submarine fleet is costly, both financially and diplomatically, Masood said.

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