India: Missile defence shield ready in three years

New Delhi, Dec. 13 (AKI/Asian Age) - Two days after neighbouring Pakistan tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile, India on Wednesday announced that its own missile defence shield would be ready in three years.

According to the daily The Asian Age, India is currently developing ballistic missile Agni-IV, capable of hitting targets up to a range of 6,000 km.

It reported that three more tests of Agni-III missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometres will be conducted by India in the next 12 months.

According to experts, Agni-III is the missile with the longest reach in south Asia and more powerful than any missile in Pakistan’s arsenal.

However, China has missiles with a longer range.

Though still at the design stage, first trials of Agni-IV can be held by 2010, said chief controller for research and development ― missiles and strategic systems at the Defence Research Development Organisation, V.K. Saraswat.

Saraswat said the two-layered ballistic missile defence system was to cope with both threats from ballistic missiles as well as terrain-hugging cruise missile and could be ready by 2010.

Defence officials said while the country will go ahead with developing its indigenous BMD system, New Delhi was considering similar systems being offered by the US, Israel and Russia.

They said the new system, to be ready by 2010, would be capable of protection against existing threats to the country . India is also developing a system for intercontinental ballistic missile interception, which could take up to seven years.

"An integrated test trial of the interceptor missile and its sub-systems would be conducted in June next year," said Saraswat on the recent successful test trials of the advanced air defence missiles.

India and Pakistan have beome rivals in developing their defence programs since 1998 when both countries carried out nuclear tests.