Agni-V may be test-fired next year

Agni-V, India's version of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 5,000 km, will be test-fired by early 2011, according to W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, R and D (Life Sciences), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).He was interacting with presspersons here on Thursday on the sidelines of a seminar on Futuristic Food Requirement of the Armed Forces organised by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL).

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Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO scientists were working on Agni-V which was a three-stage solid fuelled missile and it would have a payload of one to 1.5 tonne and could carry conventional nuclear warhead. “It will address our immediate threat perception and since India has declared and adopted a no-first strike policy, Agni-V will empower the country with the second strike capability,” Dr. Selvamurthy said.He described Agni as an important missile delivery system. Agni V was a surface-to-surface missile and came very close to qualify as an ICBM. Commenting on Agni-III which was test-fired successfully thrice, Dr. Selvamurthy said it had met all parameters and the armed forces would decide on the actual induction programme................................Hindu

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