India’s next generation-Agni 5 missiles will be test fired by February next year. This was disclosed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO Chief Dr. V K Sarswat in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Dr. Sarswat also made it clear that India is not in the race with China or Pakistan and it has developed Agni 4 missile for defence purpose only. Talking to media-persons on the successful launch of strategic missile Agni 4, which was test fired on Tuesday from the integrated test range at Wheeler Island of the Odisha coast, DRDO Chief said, India has a policy of no first use of weapon and it will stick to it.

Talking about Agni-4’s capabilities, Dr. Saraswat said, indigenously developed best technology has been used in Agni 4 and it is at par with the best technology available in the world. Terming it as quantum leap in missile technology, he said operationalisation of Agni 4 is much easier and it can be deployed at short notice at any place. He said, earlier, missiles were based on rail mobile launchers which needed an exhaustive infrastructure support but Agni-4 is based on road mobile launchers.

Dr. Saraswat said it is maintenance free and also better in terms of accuracy and performance as compare to its early versions. Dr. Saraswat also revealed that the sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay will also be test-fired in the early part of next year. The missile will be second cruise missile in Indian inventory after the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which has been developed jointly by India and Russia.

In reply to a question, Dr. Sarswat clarified that there is no tussle between Odisha government and the DRDO over the missile test range. Odisha government wanted to establish ports near integrated test range. He said, DRDO do not want to pose any hurdle in the development of economic activities of State and both the ports and the missile testing centre can co-exist by not affecting each other’s interests.