N-capable Prithvi II test-fired

India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface to surface nuclear capable Prithvi II ballistic missile at 9am from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 230 km east of Bhubaneswar.

India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface to surface nuclear capable Prithvi II ballistic missile at 9 am from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 230 km east of Bhubaneswar.

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The launch was carried out as part of the regular training exercise of the Armed Forces. “The flight test of the Prithvi II met all the mission objectives and was like a text book launch,” an ITR official said.

Prithvi II, the first indigenous surface to surface strategic missile, capable of attacking targets at ranges of 350 km, reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 metres. “All the radars, electro optical systems located along the coast have tracked and monitored the missile throughout the flight path. An Indian naval ship located near the target witnessed the final event,” he said.

He added that the entire launch operations of the missile were carried by the Armed Forces, monitored by the scientists of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). Dr VK Saraswat, scientific advisor to the Union defence minister and secretary, defence research and development, witnessed the launch operations and congratulated the Armed Forces and scientists for the successful flight test, he said.