NEW DELHI, Oct 5: India is ready to deploy medium- and short- range nuclear-capable Agni missiles and New Delhi now possesses an effective retaliatory capability, involving more than one command centre, says Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Mr Fernandes’ statement, issued by the Press Trust of India news agency, coincided with a visit to Pakistan by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Sunday.

“We have established more than one (nuclear command and control) nerve centre,” Mr Fernandes told PTI in an interview.

Mr Fernandes disclosed that other nuclear command and control structures like nuclear command shelters and VVIP shelters have been established.

Referring to steps taken to protect the British-built government complexes housing the prime minister’s office, the defence and finance ministries, flanked by the Parliament House and the Presidential Palace, Mr Fernandes said that “all necessary steps” had been taken.

The process of deployment of 700-kilometre-range Agni-I and 1,500- to 2,000-kilometre-range Agni-II missiles was underway. “These have been handed over to the army for deployment”.

He said the production of the longer-range variant of the missile — Agni-III — was underway and the schedule for its test firing was being finalised.

Mr Fernandes said that as with any nuclear power, India was taking care of issues like having a credible second strike capability and setting up of nuclear command and nerve centres.

“India as a declared nuclear-weapon state has been on this job from day one,” Mr Fernandes said.

Though Agni-I and Agni-II along with surface-to-surface Prithvi missiles have been handed to the Army, Mr Fernandes said the newly-formed strategic forces command was entrusted with the “ responsibilities and would fulfil them.”

Referring to Pakistan’s nuclear capability, Mr Fernandes said a number of countries possessed nuclear weapons and everyone looked at them as a deterrent, adding that most of the nuclear doctrines took a no-first strike position.