May 14, 2006, 12:14 GMT
New Delhi - India's intermediate-range nuclear-capable Agni- III missile is technically ready for test-firing, according to the country's top defence scientist Sunday.
'We are technically ready for the test-firing of the missile,' M Natarajan, scientific advisor the India's defence minister, said at a function in the capital presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, PTI news agency reported.
'We are awaiting a nod from the government,' Natarajan said.
The Agni-III missile, named after the Indian god of fire, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 4,000 kilometres.
It is nuclear capable, can carry a 200-300 kilotonne warhead and uses solid and liquid propellent. The Agni-III has not yet been fired and tests have been repeatedly postponed since November 2004.
A surface-to-surface ballistic missile, it can be deployed through rail or road mobile launch vehicles and is fitted with an improved optical or radar guidance system.
India has been developing indigenous ballistic missiles for nearly two decades under its Integrated Missile Development Programme. South Asian nuclear-capable neighbours India and Pakistan routinely carry out missile tests.
Pakistan on April 29 successfully test-fired the Shaheen II or Hataf-VI, an upgraded version of a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can hit a target up to 2,000 kilometres away.
Your Talkback on this Story