Projectile: New Delhi tests its Prithvi-II missile

The nuclear capable missile was fired as part of a training exercise

India on Monday test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile twice in quick succession.

The missile was test fired as part of a user trial by the army from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha, The Indian Express reported.

The two surface-to-surface missiles, with a strike range of 350 km, are capable of carrying 500kg to 1,000kg of warheads. The missiles were successfully test-fired in quick succession from mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Indian defence sources said.

The missile is thrust by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target, they said.

The missiles were randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activities were carried out by the specially formed strategic force command (SFC) and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of a training exercise, a defence scientist said.

The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha, sources said.

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

In October 2009, India ran a similar trial and test-fired the ballistic missile Prithvi-II from the same base. The trial was conducted in the presence of army officials and scientists as part of an exercise to well acquaint the personnel with various aspects of the sophisticated missile.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2016.