India Test Fires Nuclear-Capable PRITHVI-II Missile

February 17, 2016

Prithvi-II missile test-fired in Odisha

HUBANESWAR: India on Tuesday test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile from a test range in Odisha. 

The missile, capable of carrying warheads weighing 500 kg to 1,000 kg, was test-fired as part of a user-trial by the Army from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district, defence sources said. 

The strategic forces command (SFC) of the Army conducted the test as part of a regular training exercise. 

With a strike range of 350 km, Prithvi-II is powered by twin-engines which use liquid propulsion. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.

Notably, Prithvi is India’s first indigenously-built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The battlefield missile has a flight duration of 483 seconds and a peak altitude of 43.5km, sources added.

The sources said the missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activities were carried out by the SFC and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The missile was inducted into the armed forces in 2003. 

The last user-trial of the missile was successfully conducted on November 26 last year from the same test range in Odisha.