Balasore (Orissa), October 12
India today successfully test-fired in quick succession two nuclear-capable ‘Prithvi-II’ surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 350 km from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from here.

The two indigenously developed missiles were test-fired successfully at 10.28 am and 10.33 am, from mobile launchers as part of user trials by the army, defence sources said.

The trajectories of the missiles were tracked by a battery of long-range, multi-function radars and electro-optic telemetry stations at different locations for post-launch analysis, the sources said.

Scientists of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) supervised the test-firing with logistics support from the ITR personnel here. Naval ships were anchored near the impact points in the Bay of Bengal.

The nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile has already been inducted by the armed forces and is handled by the Army units attached to the strategic force command’s special group, they said.

The sources said the twin-engined Prithvi-II is nine metres in length and is one metre wide. It has features to deceive enemy missiles and is equipped with ‘added inertial’ navigation systems, they said. The missiles had different ranges. They have been designed to operate with both liquid and solid fuels, and were capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads, they said.

The trials were conducted in the presence of Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister V K Saraswat, top scientists and army officers. — PTI