Date:30/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/30/stories/2005033011851200.htm

National

Agni-III missile to be test-fired by year-end

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 29. The latest and most advanced version of India's long range ballistic missile, Agni-III will be test-fired by this year end, said R.N. Agarwal, Programme Director, Agni, here on Tuesday.

Some milestones establishing indigenous technologies to make the missile more robust and much ahead of existing missiles were to be reached in the next few months, he told presspersons in the presence of B.S. Takhar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command.

Mr. Agarwal, also the Director of Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), a leading missile technology development laboratory here, said Agni-III was designed to hit targets between 3,000 and 3,500 km.

In 2004, India had successfully launched Agni-I and Agni-II, variants of intermediate range ballistic missiles. They had completed development flight tests and would soon be inducted into to the Army.

Project Agni

He said the development programme of Project Agni was on schedule. "Project Agni is a standing example of the synergy between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the developer and the Indian Army, the user. There are no delays," he emphasised.