India to test fire Agni-V by year end

New Delhi, June 3 (PTI) India will for the first time
test fire its 5000-km range Agni-V ballistic missile by the
end of this year in what is being seen as a major leap in the
country's missile capability.
"Agni-V missile would be ready for test by the end of
this year, probably in December," Defence Research and
Development Organization (DRDO) chief V K Saraswat said here
Friday on the sidelines of a function.
He said that the 3000-km range Agni-III missile has
already been inducted into the armed forces. "Agni-III is
already inducted. Its development has been completed and is
under production," he said.
Saraswat was replying to the queries on development
schedule of Agni-III and Agni-V series of missiles after
Indian Defence Minister A K Antony, who addressed the
function, asked DRDO to prioritise development of the 5000-km
range ballistic missile.
Congratulating DRDO for developing Ballistic Missile
Defence System, Antony said,"DRDO must demonstrate the
capability to develop missiles of the range of 5000 km at the
earliest. This is a challenge for the DRDO and I hope they
will successfully meet this challenge at the earliest."
"The first trial is expected to start in December this
year followed by a series of modifications and further trials
over the next few years. This missile would be based on the
concept of re-entry vehicle capable of covering whole of
Pakistan and China," DRDO officials said.