India successfully test fires Prithvi-II missile

Balasore (Odisha) Jun 15 (PTI) India Wednesday successfully test-fired it’s indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile during night time as part of a user training trial from a test range off the Odisha coast.

An official statement says: “A successful training launch of a Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II was carried out today at approximately 1930 hrs from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. The missile is a proven system and is capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision.” Stating that the user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile, the DRDO said: “ Prithvi-2 missiles test fired successfully and test met all parameters”.

The trial of the surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here at around 7.30 pm, sources said adding that it is a routine training trial. Earlier, Prithvi-II also was successfully test fired during night time on February 21, 2018 from ITR at Chandipur. Later on November 20,2019, two trials consecutively of Prithvi-II were conducted successfully during night time from the same base.

Prithvi-II is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines. The state-of-the-art missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target, officials said.

The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of a training exercise, they said. “The missile trajectory was tracked by radars, electro- optical tracking systems and telemetry stations by the DRDO along the coast of Odisha,” said the source.

The downrange teams onboard the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown. In salvo mode, on November 21, 2016, two missiles were successfully test fired in quick succession from the same base.

Already inducted into the armory of Indian defence forces in 2003, the nine-meter-tall, single-stage liquid-fuelled “Prithvi” is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).