India on Thursday, November 26, successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur in Balasore district on the Odisha coast.

“The trial data of the missile conducted by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) shows positive results,” said a defense source.

The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.

“The test fire was successful as the trial data conducted by the Strategic Force Command shows positive results,” said a defense ministry source.

“The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activities were carried out by the specially formed SFC and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise,” a defence scientist said.

“The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha,” the source said.

The downrange teams on board a ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown, they said.

Prithvi-II uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.
It has been designed to operate with both liquid and solid fuels and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads.

The last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully conducted on 19 February 2015 and was inducted in the Indian Army in 2003.

For the past two years, Pakistan has tested missiles with very short-range, that could be used if Indian troops cross onto Pakistani soil.