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Agni-2 to be test-fired from Orissa coast this week

India's new longer range Intermediate Ballistic Missile, 'Agni-2,' is expected to be test-fired from the 'IC-4 Inner Wheeler Island' on the Orissa coast between March 5 and 7.

This is the first time that the 'Agni-2' missile, with a range of 1800 km and state-of-the-art technology, would be test-fired from the island.

The new Agni is understood to have the striking range three times that of the 'Agni-1'.

All arrangements, meanwhile, are understood to have been completed by the defence authorities in Balasore for the test-firing.

Another newly-developed short range missile, 'Dhanush', is also likely to be test-fired from the Interim Test Range in Balasore some time next week.

Earlier, the Agni-1 has been test-fired thrice from the ITR at Chandipur-On-Sea in the past. Agni was last test-fired from the ITR on February 19, 1994.

The government's stand is that the 'technology demonstrator'' phase of Agni had been successfully completed following the three tests till 1994.

The clearance for developing the superior, longer range missile 'Agni-2' was given by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's BJP-led coalition government at the Centre after it assumed power in March last year.

When contacted, a Ministry of Defence spokesman at New Delhi refused to confirm or deny the reports about the test-firing of 'Agni-2' and 'Dhanush' missiles having been scheduled.

''The reports about the test-firing of Agni-2 and Dhanush missiles having been scheduled are highly speculative,'' the spokesman said while refusing to make any further comment.

UNI

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