India today said it is developing a long-range nuclear-capable Agni-VI ballistic missile that will carry multiple warheads allowing one weapon system to take out several targets at a time. DRDO chief VK Saraswat said in Bangalore that Agni-V is major strategic defence weapon and Agni-VI would be a force multiplier. Refusing to divulge the range of the new under- development missile, he said the force multiplier capability of the missile would be because of its Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle, MIRV capability. The Agni-V ballistic missile, which was test-fired in April last year, has a range of upto 5,500 kms and it is believed that the Agni-6 would have a range longer than its predecessor. He further said that work is on in the hardware realisation phase. DRDO officials said once the Agni-6 is developed, it would propel India into the elite club of nations with such a capability including the US and Russia. The DRDO is also working towards developing a cruise missile defence programme which would enable the armed forces to defend against low-flying cruise missiles and enemy aircraft.