India close to developing Agni-IV

India is close to developing ballistic missile Agni-IV, capable of hitting targets upto a range of 6,000 kms, country's top missile scientist Dr V K Saraswat said here on Wednesday.

He also said that the DRDO would carry out three more tests of nuclear capable 3,000 km. range Agni-III missiles over the next 12 months as a part of an initiative to develop an indigenous robust nuclear deterrent.

Though Sarswat said that Agni-IV was still in design stage, DRDO officials were of the view that the first trials of the missiles which would give India an almost inter-continental reach could be held by 2010.

On Agni-III tests, the DRDO official said the second trial of the missile would be done by June next year and more tests hopefully in another nine months to a year.

Agni-III, the indigenously developed two-stage all-solid fuel, 16-metre-long missile was first successfully test fired in April this year, after initial test failure.

The missile, with a range of 3,000 kms and capacity to carry a nuclear or conventional payload of 1.5 tonnes will give India the capability to reach remote Chinese mainland cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Courtesy:thehindu.com
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