Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired

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India on Thursday achieved yet another success in missile technology as it successfully test-fired the Prithvi-II nuclear capable missile, which hit the target with “very high accuracy” of around 10 meters.

“The missile was successfully flight tested at 9 00 AM from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here as part of the regular training exercise of the armed forces,” a DRDO spokesperson said.

“Prithvi-II, the first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic missile, capable of attacking targets at ranges of 350 km, reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 meters,” officials said.

Officials said on Thursda’s test met all the mission objectives and was like a text book launch.

“Taken from routine production lot during earlier user trials, the missile had achieved single digit accuracy reaching close to zero circular error probability (CEP),” they said.

Prithvi-II with features to deceive any anti ballistic missiles, had demonstrated flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km in the 2008 user’s trial.

Similarly, as a part of the operational exercises by armed forces, two Prithvi-II missiles, aimed at two different targets at 350 km from launch point of ITR, at Chandipur were successfully launched within minutes of each other on October 12, 2009 and all the mission objectives were met.

The sleek missile once again proved its accuracy whenthe user tried it in a “salvo mode” on March 27 and June 18, 2010 from ITR, Chandipur. It was the fourth successful Prithvi-II flight within a period of eight months.

With a striking range of 250 to 350 km, Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying a pay-load of 500-1000 kg warhead.

All the radars, electro optical systems located along the coast have tracked and monitored the missile throughout the flight path. An Indian naval ship located near the target witnessed the final event.

DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat, programme director AD.V.L.N. Rao along with several top SFC and Army officials were present during the trial.