Prithvi-II ballistic missile display accuracy in test-fire

Balasore (Orissa), Sept 26: Displaying high accuracy, India's nuclear-capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile, with a striking range of 35O km, was today (Sept 26) successfully test-fired as part of user trial by the armed forces from Chandipur near here.

"The flight test of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted around 9 AM from a mobile launcher from Integrated Test Range''s launch complex-III," ITR Director S P Dash said.

Describing the trial of the indigenously developed strategic missile as "fully successful", Dash said, "It met all the mission objectives and was perfect like a text book launch."

The launch operations were carried out by the armed forces as part of user trial and regular training exercise and monitored by the Scientists of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).

Being handled by the specially raised strategic force command, the short-range sleek missile has a length of 9 metres and is one metre in diameter. It is propelled by two engines than run on liquid fuel.

Prithvi, the first ballistic missile developed under prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme has the capability of carrying 500 kg warhead.The missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory.

During today's trial, the missile reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 meters, a DRDO spokesperson said.

"All the radars, electro optical systems located along the coast have tracked and monitored all the parameters of the missile throughout the flight path and an Indian Navy ship located near the target witnessed the final event," he said.

Prithvi-II has been successfully flight tested several times as part of the training exercise and today's launch again proved its reliability and accuracy, he said.

PTI