New Delhi, Dec 12 - India is to launch a 5,000-km nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) next year, even as it has developed a credible missile shield that is superior to the American Patriot anti-missile system, defence scientists said Thursday.Both are homegrown systems and make India one of the very few countries in the world possessing the technology to manufacture them.'Yes, the launch of the Agni-IV (ICBM) is on the anvil. We also plan further tests of the (3,000 km) Agni-III,' V.K. Saraswat, chief controller (R&D) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told reporters here.'The launch of Agni-IV is scheduled for June (2008), with another launch planned towards the end of year,' said Saraswat, who is also the programme director of the DRDO's air defence project.DRDO scientists had in April successfully test fired the Agni-III intermediate range ballistic missile, saying at the time they could extend its range to 3,000 km.A decision on the extended range 'was left to the government', DRDO chief M. Natarajan had then said.Agni-III builds on its predecessors, Agni-I that is a single stage 700-km missile, and Agni-II that is a two-stage 2,000-km system. These two have already been inducted into the armed forces. Agni-III's induction is some three years away.Speaking about the ballistic missile defence (BMD) system, Saraswat said this would be ready for deployment in two to three years.The system comprises two elements - an exo-atmospheric (above the atmosphere) interceptor missile that can engage targets at a height of 50 km and an endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere) supersonic interceptor that can eliminate targets at a height of 15 km.The first, a modified Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile, was tested in November 2006 while two trials of the new Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor were conducted in the first week of this month.'This is what makes our BMD system superior to the Patriot that cannot engage targets beyond 15 km. We can go much higher,' Saraswat said of the system that has been eight years in development.
(c) Indo-Asian News Service
