NEW DELHI, April 26 (UPI) -- India's wants to stimulate the country's domestic armaments industry.
Aside from issues of national pride, India imports about 70 percent of its defense requirements, which is a serious fiscal drain on the country's finances.
Highlighting the issue was the test launch April 19 of India's indigenous Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile from Wheeler Island.
During the 20-minute test flight, a Defense Research and Development Organization spokesman said Indian naval vessels tracked the missile and "the accuracy of the missile was exactly as expected."
"Any launch is tense, even after testing a hundred missiles; and this was the first launch of the Agni-5," DRDO head V K Saraswat said.
"Over the last three-four days, the team had gone through the complete launch process with each activity and system being put through our scanners: the propulsion system, navigation system, everything. By (Tuesday), I was completely confident of a successful launch."
Some 50-60 Indian companies participated in manufacturing components for the Agni-V missile, The Hindu Business Line reported Wednesday.
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