Dhanush ballistic missile successfully test fired from Odisha coast

India has successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a naval ship off the Odisha coast.

Dhanush, which is the naval variant of India's indigenously-developed 'Prithvi' missile, was test fired from a ship in the Bay of Bengal at around 7.40 p.m.last night by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence force.

The Director of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) M V K V Prasad has reportedly said the missile launch was part of an exercise by the armed forces and added that the missile had reached its designated target with high precision.

He further added that the missile launch and its flight performance were monitored from the ITR at Chandipur, Odisha.

The Dhanush missile is capable of carrying a conventional and a nuclear payload of 500 to 1,000 kilograms and can hit both land and sea-based targets.

Yesterday, the surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) Prithvi - II was also test fired by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) scientists.