India successfully test-fired the indigenously-built nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here on Monday.
The surface-to-surface missile, which can be armed with nuclear warheads, travelled its full range of 350 km before plunging into the Bay of Bengal. It carried conventional explosives.
The entire launch operations of the missile were carried out by the Armed Forces and monitored by the scientists of the DRDO. The flight test of the Prithvi-II met all the mission objectives and was like a textbook launch, said Defence sources.
The missile used for the test was randomly selected from the production lot. The last user-trial of Prithvi-II was successfully carried out from the same base on December 20, 2012. The missile has the capability to carry a payload of 1,000 kg, but if it is reduced by half, the striking range of the sleek missile could be enhanced.
Prithvi is currently the mainstay of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), along with the 700-km range Agni-I, 2,000-km-plus range Agni-II and 3,000-km range Agni-III ballistic missiles.
Prithvi, the first missile developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), has a length of nine metres with one metre diameter driven by a liquid propulsion twin engine.