Prithvi-II missile test-fired for second time in two days

For the second time in two days, India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha.

Zee Media Bureau

Bhubaneswar: For the second time in two days, India on Tuesday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha. The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar, at about 12:20 pm. "Today`s test fire of Prithvi-II missile is also successful and achieved all its targets," director of ITR, MVKV Prasad, told a news agency. He said today`s test fire was as accurate as yesterday`s exercise. The scientists randomly chose a missile from the production stock and put it on test. The total launch activities were carried out by the specially formed SFC and monitored by the scientists of DRDO as part of practice drill. The trajectory of the missile was tracked by the DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha. The experts were deployed at Paradip, Puri and Andaman to monitor the trajectory of the missile. "The downrange teams onboard the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown," they said. 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, with flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability to carry a 500-kg warhead. The missile has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and reaches its target with a few metres of accuracy. It has higher lethal effect compared to any equivalent class of missiles in the world. Scientists say the accuracy has already been demonstrated in the past in the development flight trials. (With Agency inputs)