Prithvi-II, Dhanush missiles test fired successfully

BHUBANESWAR: India on Friday successfully test fired its nuclear-capable ballistic missiles Prithvi-II and '' Dhanush'', both having a range of 350 kms, from separate locations off the Orissa coast.

While 'Dhanush' was flight tested from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal at a spot between Paradip and Puri at around 10 a.m., 'Prithvi-II' was test-fired at around 11 a.m. from a mobile launcherat launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, 15 km from Balasore.

Both the missiles are under production after successful completion of developmental trials and have been inducted into the Armed Forces.

The trajectory of both the missiles, with advanced navigation and guidance systems, were monitored by a widespread tracking network consisting of radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems spread over land and sea.

Prithvi-II is capable of carrying a 500-1000 kg warhead. The test firing of the surface-to-surface missile, which has already been inducted into Indian armed forces, was a "routine" trial conducted by the personnel of Strategic Force Command (SFC), the sources said.

Dhanush has a pay-load capacity of 500 kg and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. The missile, which has liquid propellant, is the naval version of India's indigenously developed surface-to-surface "Prithvi" missile system.

Dhanush, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO), was put to trial jointly by a team of scientists and officers from the Navy.

Though the missile had failed in its first test at the development stage on April 11, 2000 due to certain technical problems in the take-off stage, subsequent trials were successful. A similar training exercise, comprising both Dhanush and Prithvi-II were successfully conducted in a "salvo mode" off Orissa coast on March 27, 2010.