India's longest-range missile ready for test launch

India's longest-range ballistic missile is ready for a test launch, the country's top military scientist has announced. "We are technically ready for the test-firing of the missile," M. Natarajan, scientific advisor to the defence ministry, announced at an official function in New Delhi which was also attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "We are awaiting a nod from the government," he said of the Agni-III (Fire) nuclear-capable ballistic missile which has an official range of 4,000 kilometres (2,480 miles). Some experts believe the solid-fuel missile can travel a distance of 6,000 kilometres (3,720 miles) but the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which built the system, declined to confirm the estimates. India has been putting off tests of the Agni-III since November 2004 reportedly under pressure from the United States concerned it could spark an arms race with New Delhi's rival Pakistan.