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| Sunday, 5 February 2006 |
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India ready to launch latest nuclear missile INDIA, (AFP) Feb. 03. India on Friday announced it had completed all tests and was ready to deploy its latest nuclear-tipped missile, capable of striking targets at a distance of 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles). "All technical parameters for the launch of the missile have been completed," M. Natarajan announced at a news conference in New Delhi. "We are ready for the launch today... it is now for political leadership to give the nod," Natarajan said of the Indian-built missile codenamed Agni-III (Fire). Agni-III is the longest range missile of its type and can carry a one-tonne conventional or nuclear warhead. Delhi in 1993 began testing basic variants of the Agni, but shelved the experiments for two years ostensibly under US pressure. The flight-tests resumed after India conducted a series of nuclear weapons tests in 1998. Natarajan, who heads the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) comprising dozens of state-owned industries and military research facilities, said scientists were also trying to develop a 1,000-kilometre range cruise missile. The chief scientist also announced that a naval variant of the 300-kilometre range BrahMos cruise missile, which has been jointly developed by India and Russia, was ready for deployment. |
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