India tests nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile

Bhubaneswar  :   India Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable ballistic Prithi-II missile from a test range in Odisha, a defence official said.

The 350-km range surface-to-surface missile blasted off at about 9.20 a.m. from launch complex number three at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, around 230 km from here.

“The mission was successful,” ITR director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

The launch was carried out by the Indian armed forces as part of a training exercise and was monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), DRDO spokesperson Ravi Kumar Gupta said.

Prithvi is India’s first indigenously built ballistic missile and one of the five being developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The medium-range missile, with a flight duration of 483 seconds and reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability of carrying a 500 kg warhead.

Prithvi uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and comes within metres of its target.