Two Prithvi missiles successfully test-fired

Balasore : India on Wednesday test-fired two home made nuclear-capable ballistic missiles in a span of one hour from the Integrated Test Range in coastal Orissa in eastern part of the country.

The surface-to-surface Prithvi-2 missiles were successfully test-fired by the officials of the Strategic Force Command from ITR at Chandipur off the Orissa coast.

The first blast took air at 8:15 am and the second followed exactly sixty minutes later.

Both were launched as part of the user trials and were tested for the full range of 350 kms.

Defence experts and the scientists who witnessed the blastings said the test-fires were satisfactory and moved according to order.

The missiles, placed atop a mobile launcher was test-fired from the launch complex-3 at the ITR, they said.

?Prithvi?2 missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials earlier,? Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) scientists said.

The 9-metre tall Prithvi-II is capable of carrying a pay-load of 500-1000 kilo warhead with a flight duration of about eight minutes and hit the predesignated targets.

It was already inducted into the Air Force.

A test-fire on Sep 24 last had failed to perform due to some technical problems.