A user trial of the indigenously-developed surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile Prithvi-II (P2-06 version) was conducted successfully from the launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur at 9.53 am on Tuesday, Defence sources said.
The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command as a part of the regular training exercise. The test was successful and the missile was tested for its full range, ITR Director MVKV Prasad said.
The nuclear-capable Prithvi-II has already been inducted into the armed forces since 2003. It is the first missile to be developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under India’s prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
With a strike range of around 350 km, the twin-engine Prithvi-II is 8.56 meter in length, 1.1 meter in width and weighs 4,600 kg. It has the ability to dodge enemy missiles and is also equipped with an “added inertial” navigation system, a DRDO scientist said.
Prithvi-II has been designed to operate with both liquid and solid fuels, and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads of up to 500 kg.
Its last user trial was carried out on December 3 last from the same ITR complex. It had first been test-fired on January 27, 1996 and the development stages were completed in 2004.