India to Test Fire Long-range Missile

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 07, 2003

India to Test Fire Long-range Missile

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India was making all efforts to fire a long-range surface-to-surface missile, codenamed Agni-III which was designed to carry nuclear warheads before the end of this year, Defense Minister George Fernandes said on Sunday.

"The test firing of the Agni-III is overdue and we feel the need for that long-range missile as part of our policy of deterrence," he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) in an interview.

Asked about the range of the new missile, Fernandes said it would have a strike capacity longer than that of Agni-II, which has a range of over 2,000 kilometers.

India has already developed two surface-to-surface missiles of the Agni system -- Agni-I, which has a range of 700 kilometers, and Agni-II, both of which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Agni is one of the five missile systems developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization.

India is also developing a supersonic cruise missile, Brahmos, with the help of Russian experts.

Brahmos, which has a range of nearly 300 kilometers, has three versions: ground-to-air, air-to-ground and the naval variant.

Fernandes asserted that the range of Brahmos did not violate the Missile Technology Control Regime as it was below 300 kilometers.

A number of countries were eyeing the missile, which has an export potential, he added.

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