Director-General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) V.K. Saraswat said on Friday that Agni-II Plus, a modified version of the Agni-II strategic missile, would be launched next year.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the valedictory function of the Post Induction Training School (POINTS) at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) here, Dr. Saraswat said it would have a higher range, higher performance, with respect to the thrust and weight ratio than Agni-II, which has a range of 2,000 km.
He said that BrahMos Aerospace Ltd, a joint venture between India and Russia, would be launching the aircraft version of the super-sonic missile. “It is being developed and it will be integrated with Sukhoi. Within a year, the first development trial will be conducted. Right now, scientists are in the process of checking if it is in need of any modification.”
Dr. Saraswat said the DRDO was developing ballistic missiles with both short and long-range radars which were highly manoeuvrable.
On the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, negotiations were going on to acquire the GE4141 engines and this would be completed within a month.
