India successfully conducts Prithvi missile air defence exercise

Balasore, Orissa, Nov 27 (UNI) India today successfully Test fired the air defence exercise(ADE) of surface-to-surface missile Prithvi-II from the launch complexes of both the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on Sea and the Inner Wheeler Island inside the Bay of Bengal.

ITR sources said one Prithvi-II missile was testfired from Launch Complex-III at ITR, Chandipur as ''attacker'' to check the air defence capabilities at 1010 hours.

Few seconds later another Prithvi missile was test fired from the board as ''defender'' from Launch Complex IV of the Inner Wheeler Island to have a perfect alignment with a pre-designated point.

ITR sources claimed that the missiles alignment was upto the desired level and the tests, conducted for the first time from both the launch stations, were successful.

Chief controller of Research and Development of the DRDO Air Defence Programme director M V Saraswat and Director of DRDO lab Dr Prahallad, besides hundreds of DRDO scientists, were present to witness the interception exercise programme of the two Prithvi missiles at the ITR and the inner Wheeler Island.

Eds here pls pick up from xxx the 220-250 kms range Prithvi xxx from CA 4 Defence-Prithvi test fired two last Balasore.

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