Nuclear capable Prithvi-2 missiles successfully test-fired

India successfully testfired in quick succession two nuclear-capable 'Prithvi-II' surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 350 km from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa.

India on Monday morning successfully testfired in quick succession two nuclear-capable 'Prithvi-II' surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 350 km from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from Balasore.

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Alternate Name: P-2, SS-250
Class: SRBM
Basing: Road mobile
Length: 9.00 m
Diameter: 1.10 m
Launch Weight: 4000-4600 kg
Payload: Single warhead, 500-1000 kg
Warhead: nuclear, HE, submunitions
Propulsion: Single-stage liquid
Range: 250 km
Status: Operational

The two indigenously developed missiles were test fired successfully at 10:28 am and 10: 33 am, from mobile launchers as part of user trials by the army, defence sources said.

The trajectories of the missiles were tracked by a battery of long-range, multi-function radars and electro-optic telemetry stations at different locations for post-launch analysis, the sources said.

Scientists of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) supervised the test-firing with logistic support from the ITR personnel here. Naval ships were anchored near the impact points in the Bay of Bengal. The nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile has already been inducted by the armed forces and is handled by the army units attached to the strategic force command's special group, they said.