India successfully test fires Prithvi-II missile

Balasore: India on Wednesday successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile as part of a user trial by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army from launch pad-III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.

The trial of the surface-to-surface medium range missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the ITR at around 11.35am.

The test comes after the successful trial of Agni-1 missile from Abdul Kalam Island on Tuesday and Agni-5 which was successfully test fired earlier in January.

Prithvi-II is capable of carrying 500 to1, 000 kilogram of traditional and nuclear warheads. It is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines and has state-of-the-art advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory which makes it capable to hit its target very precisely. The missile weighs about 4,600 kg.

Developed under the joint collaboration of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Bharat Dynamics Limited, the missile was first test-fired on 27 January 1996.