India on Saturday successfully tested the surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a launch complex at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. The launch was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of Indian Army as part of a regular training exercise. According to an official statement by the Defence Development and Research Organisation (DRDO) here, all radar, electro-optical systems located along the coast tracked and monitored the parameters of the missile throughout its flight path. An Indian naval ship located near the target in the Bay of Bengal witnessed the final event.
Prithvi-II is the first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic missile, capable of attacking targets in the range of 350 km. During the flight test, it reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 metres. The single stage liquid-propelled vehicle developed by DRDO has been inducted into the armed forces. One of the missiles drawn from the inventory of armed forces was test fired by the SFC. The vehicle was guided throughout its flight by an accurate Inertial Navigation System (INS) and controlled by the thrust vector control and aerodynamic control systems.
The entire launch operations were carried out by the armed forces and monitored by scientists of the DRDO. The flight test of the Prithvi-II missile met all the objectives of the mission and turned out to be a perfect textbook launch. Prithvi-II missile has been successfully flight-tested a number of times as part of development, induction and training exercises. Saturday’s launch once again proves the reliability of Prithvi and confirms its successful induction into the services, the DRDO release said.
The team of armed force personnel and scientists was led by the project director Siva Subramanyam and programme director, Adalat Ali. DRDL director A.K. Chakraborti, associate director RCI G. Satheesh Reddy, director, ITR, M.V.K.V. Prasad and Dr Manjit Singh were present during the flight test. Scientific adviser to defence minister Dr V. K. Saraswat, who was present during the flight test, congratulated the armed forces and scientists and employees of DRDO for the successful flight test.