India once again Test Fires Prithvi 2 missile successfully

India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile successfully, from a test range in Odisha. The missile is capable of carrying 500 – 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target with precision and accuracy.

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 (ITR) at Chandipur near here at around 9:50 am, official sources said.

It was monitored by the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise, a DRDO scientist said. “The missile trajectory was tracked by the DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems, and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha,” the sources said.

Teams on board the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown.

Prithvi  is a tactical surface to the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by DRDO of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). It is deployed by India’s Strategic Forces Command.

Inducted into Indian armed forces in 2003, the nine-metre-tall, single-stage liquid-fuelled Prithvi-II is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.