India successfully test fired Prithvi II missile

The Indian Army added another feather to its cap with the successful test firing of advanced Prithvi II, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile at the Chandipur test range in Balasore off Orissa coast. It was launched at 10:26 on Friday morning.

The 8.56 metre long and one metre thick nuclear capable missile has the capacity to cover a distance of 350 kms in just 483 seconds by attaining peak altitude of 43.5 kms. It can carry a pay load of 1000 kg of explosives.

The DRDO press note said the Missile was launched with an improved Aided Inertial Navigation and achieved single digit accuracy reaching close to zero Circular Error Probability (CEP).

All the radar systems at the ITR (Integrated Test Range) such as Long Range Tracking Radar, Konark and Multi Function Tracking Radar, Paradeep tracked the missile and marked seal on the normalcy of its course.

Considered as a world class missile in the medium range category, the Prithvi II missile has significant characteristic of mobile launching. Powered by liquid propellant, the missile has the dual operation facility with liquid as well as solid fuel.

Prithvi-II was inducted into the Army two years ago and the Friday's test-firing was carried out as part of Army training. The Air Force version of Prithvi II was inducted in 2004 to augment the armoury of the defence force.

The chief use of Prithvi would be in destroying troop concentration, crippling air bases and striking at large static installations and headquarters when required, said a defence analyst. 'It is a reliable, rugged and relatively low cost missile produced in a short span of time,' said the DRDO official. The missile has the unique feature to deceive any Anti Ballistic Missiles.

The nuclear capable Prithvi missile was India's first indigenously developed ballistic missile produced by the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and was inducted into the defence force in mid 1990s. Development of the Prithvi began in 1983, and it was first tested fired on February 25, 1988. The Prithvi-III is apparently the naval version of the missile having 350 km range with a payload of 500kg.

Agni III

In the first week of May this year, India had added long range, surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni III having a penetrating range of 3000 Km. Agni-III is the country's first indigenous solid fuel missile, which is compact and small enough for easy mobility and can be easily deployed on a variety of surface and sub-surface platform.