India will test fire its long-range surface-to-surface missile, Agni-III, by the yearend and has started induction of the short and intermediate-range Agni-I and Agni-II versions in a newly raised strategic command, the country's top defence scientist Dr M Natrajan said on Tuesday.
"The development of the Agni-III missile is on schedule and it will fly by the year end," Natrajan said in a presentation made at the Defence Research and Development Organisation Technology Day Awards function in Delhi, in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
His remarks assume significance as DRDO has put off tests of Agni-III missiles twice.
Former defence minister George Fernandes had earlier announced that the missile, which can give India the capability of developing an inter-continental-range ballistic missile, will be test fired by 2003 end.
The missile was later scheduled to be tested in mid-2004, but the trials were put off with defence scientists saying some snags had been noticed in the propulsion systems.
Natrajan also said, "Nine successful test firings have been undertaken of the surface-to-air Akash missile and the fourth generation fire-and-forget Nag anti-tank missiles."
Natarajan declared that the Nag missile was now ready for user trials.
However, DRDO officials did not throw light on recent claims by the country's top missile scientist Dr Prahlada of the organisation developing a hypersonic missile development capability.
