The Defence Research and Development Organisation will conduct development trial, or flight test, for Agni-IV missile and practice trial of Agni-III from Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha, next week, it has been learnt.
While Agni-IV will be test-launched for the third time on September 18, the date for practice trial of Agni-III, already inducted into the armed forces, is yet to be finalised, sources said, adding that it could be held between September 21 and 23.
Both missiles will be test-fired with dummy, non-nuclear warheads, and if all goes well, Agni-IV could be inducted into forces by 2014, sources said. The Strategic Forces Command of Indian Army will fire Agni-III.
Hailed as two of the most accurate and lethal Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles in the world, Agni-III and IV would bring most strategic locations of possible adversaries of India within its missile range, experts said.
Being the evolved version of the Agni-II prime strategic missile, Agni-IV is a connecting link between the Agni-II and Agni-III.