India successfully test-fires Prithvi II in Odisha

India on Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Prithvi II from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha's Balasore district.

Bhubaneswar: India on Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Prithvi II from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha's Balasore district.

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Inducted into SFC in 2003, the Prithvi II was the first missile to be developed by DRDO under India's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and has been successfully test-fired several times as part of trial exercise.

The 350 km-range missile, developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and already inducted in the Armed Forces, was fired at 9.10am from the ITR, over 200 km east of Bhubaneswar, by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army as part of a regular training exercise.

"The launch was flawless and the missile splashed down at its pre-designated target with precision," a Press Information Bureau press release said.

The single-staged liquid fuelled, 9-metre tall missile with a launch weight of 4.6 tonnes is capable of carrying warhead more than 500 kg to a distance of 350 km.

Equipped with a high accuracy inertial navigation system with sophisticated on-board control and guidance, the missile could be launched from anywhere with its mobile launcher.