Nuclear Capable Prithvi II Missile Sucessfully Test Fired

India on 4 October 2012 successfully test fired its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II from a test range in Odisha.

The missile was test fired by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.

All the radars and electro-optical systems along the coast have monitored the missile throughout its flight path.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have developed Prithvi-II for the Indian Air Force for deep interdiction and the missile can be armed with a nuclear warhead weighing 500 kg. In this flight, it carried conventional explosives.

Prithvi-II is a user-friendly missile which has a completely guided trajectory. The SFC had earlier launched it on August 25, 2012 and the flight was successful. The Indian Army is already armed with the single-stage Prithvi-II, which uses liquid propellants.

From July 2012 onwards the Strategic Forces Command had launched a series of strategic missiles including Agni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III.

It is one of the five missiles that were developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.