India successfully test-fires Prithvi-II missile for the second time in two days

India today successfully test-fired for the second time in two days, its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile, with a strike range of 350 km, from a test range at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha, PTI reported.

The test firing, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) was conducted at about 12.20 pm from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from the launch complex. 

Director of ITR, MVKV Prasad told PTI that the test firing today, of Prithvi-II missle had also been successful and had achieved all its targets. 

He added, the test firing had been as accurate as yesterday's exercise. 

The missile was randomly picked from the production stock and tested. The total launch activities were carried out by the specially formed Strategic Forces Command (SFC) under the supervision of scientists of DRDO, as part of practice drill.

The missile trajectory had been tracked by the DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha. Experts had been deployed at Paradip, Puri and Andaman to monitor the missile trajectory.

The downrange teams onboard the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown according to the experts.

After its launch for a range of 300 km yesterday, as against its strike range of 350 km, the single-stage, liquid propelled indigenously-developed Prithvi-II was test-fired for a range of 325 km today.

The missile soared to an altitude of 38 km before it descended and zeroed in on the pre-designated target point in the Bay of Bengal, The Hindu newspaper quoted an official as saying.

According to the official, the missile carried a 500 kg dummy payload and was equipped with a GPS-INS hybrid navigation system. The official added, the missile closed in onto the target with a high degree of accuracy.

The missile was tracked by all the radars, telemetry stations and electro-optical tracking systems along the East Coast and confirmed the performance of the missile till the terminal event.

Prithvi-II, the first missile to be developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of DRDO, had been inducted into the armed forces in 2004.