India test fires Prithvi II missile

Bhubaneswar June 2 (IANS) India on Friday successfully test fired its indigenous nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.

The surface-to-surface medium range ballistic missile was fired from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of ITR at around 9.50 a.m. official sources said.

The test was part of the regular training exercise by the Indian armed forces.

The launch was carried out by the specially formed strategic force command (SFC) which was monitored by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) the sources added.

The Prithvi-II missile which has a strike range of 350 km is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1 000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines.

The missile was inducted into Indian armed forces in 2003.

It is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

--IANS
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