N-capable Prithvi II successfully test fired

Balasore, Jun 18: The Indian army successfully test fired ballistic missile Prithvi-II from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on Friday, Jun 18 morning.

"The trial of Prithvi-II, conducted by the Army, has gone through nicely," ITR sirector SP Dash said.

The nuclear-capable missile, which was mounted on a mobile launcher, blasted off at 6:50 am from the launch complex-3 in the ITR, located about 15 km from Balasore off the Orissa coast.

Defence sources informed that Prithvi-II has a maximum striking range of 350 km and capable of carrying a pay-load of 500 kg. It has already been inducted into Indian armed forces.

The sources added that the test firing of the surface-to-surface missile was a users trial by the Army's specialised group 'strategic force command' (SFC).

Prithvi-II, with a length of nine metre and one metre diameter, is propelled by liquid propulsion twin engine and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory.

Prithvi is the first ballistic missile developed under the country's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

OneIndia News