India on Wednesday said it will test fire the over 5,000 km range nuclear-capable Agni-V surface to surface ballistic missile "within a year", enabling it to bring all the possible targets in China and Pakistan within its striking radius.
The test firing of the Agni-V missile will also help India to join the elite club on nations with the capability to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, DRDO Chief V K Saraswat said in New Delhi.
"Agni-V is a 5,000 km plus missile in the ICBM category and we are planning to carry out its first test within a year," he told media persons.
Saraswat said, "After Agni III and Agni V, as far as cities in China and Pakistan are concerned, there will be no target that we want to hit but can't hit."
Comparing the Agni-III with Chinese 2,500 km range DF-21 and DF-25, Agni programme Director Avinash Chander said in terms of "accuracy and technology-wise", the indigenous missiles were better than the ones in the neighbourhood.
Commenting on the Agni-V, the DRDO chief said the "missile was already out of the drawing boards."
He said the missile would be capable of being launched from canisters, which will help it to be launched from multiple platforms. With certain modifications, canister launchers enable ballistic missiles to be fired from ships and other moving platforms.
