India successfully test fires Prithvi-II missile

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile, which is capability to carry nuclear arms. It was test fired from the Integrated Test Range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army. The test fired was 100 successfully.

According to sources the sophisticated surface-to-surface missile was was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from here.

With a range of 350 km, Prithvi-II is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability to carry a 500 kg warhead.

Prithvi, which has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles, uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and reaches its target within a few metres of accuracy.

According to sources, the exercise was aimed to study the control and guidance system for the Prithvi missile. The 9 mtr long and one m in diameter Prithvi-II is capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads.

(With inputs from IANS)