India’s ambitious 5,000-km range Agni-V nuclear-capable missile is in the final phase of testing and will be launched soon, a senior DRDO scientist said here Sunday, January 15, 2012. “Agni-V is in the final phase of testing. I cannot predict the exact date of its launch, but it will be launched shortly,” Chief Controller R and D (Missiles and Strategic Systems) at DRDO, Avinash Chander, said.

“It is the most cost—effective missile in its class. Army has shown good interest and we are sure it will get inducted,” Mr. Chander said. He said there was no immediate need for the country to go in for longer range inter-continental ballistic missiles.

“Definitely, the capability (for ICBMs) exists. We feel that the country does not need it now,” Chander said. He said that the country’s missile programme was on the right path to provide an “effective deterrence”. ”By 2020, India will be among the leading countries in missile development,” Chander added.

Since the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was launched over three decades ago, DRDO has delivered Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Trishul, Nag, Prahaar and other series of weapons.

The three-stage Agni-V and the two-stage Agni-IV are poised to add credible deterrence against countries which have missiles like the 11,200-km Dong Feng-31A, Chander said.

Agni-V will feature Multiple Independently-Targeted Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) with each missile being capable of carrying 3-10 separate warheads. Though the Agni and other missiles developed by DRDO scientists are capable of striking areas inside Pakistan and China, Agni-V and the earlier Agni-IV series will give India a deep penetrative striking capability.

India successfully test-fired the most advanced surface to surface Agni-4 missile from the Wheekler Island off Odisha coast. The missile reached the pre-designated target in the international waters of Bay of Bengal.