India successfully test-fires n-capable missile

India Monday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a military base in Odisha, a senior defence official said.

The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.

The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian armed forces as part of a regular training exercise.

"The test was successful. It was a text book launch. The missile met all parameters," test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

Prithvi is India's first indigenously-built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The battlefield missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability to carry a 500-kg warhead.

The missile has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and reaches its target with a few metres of accuracy.

It has higher lethal effect compared to any equivalent class of missiles in the world. Scientists say the accuracy has already been demonstrated in the past in the development flight trials.