New Delhi: India has deployed both shorter and medium-range surface-to- surface 'Agni' missiles and has made operational the 250-km range 'Prithvi-II' and ship-to- shore 'Dhanush' missiles, Defence Minister George Fernandes has said.

Prithvi-II, which is the Air Force version of surface-to- surface Prithvi series of missiles, has been inducted as also 2000 km 'Agni-II' and its shorter variant with 700 km range, and ship-based Dhanush, another Prithvi variant, Fernandes said.

Declaring that the armed forces weapon induction programme including Russian frontline T-90s tanks, airborne surveillance systems and weapon-locating radars was moving at a "fast pace", he said within the next few weeks, government would bring about major changes in the procurement policy to slash delays.

Fernandes said that the induction of 210 T-90s tanks was ahead of schedule and the country was about to open production lines in heavy vehicles factory at Avadi near Chennai for indigenous production of the tanks.

PTI