User's test of Prithvi missile next week

BALASORE: Close on the heels of the successful test-firing of the Agni-III and Brahmos missiles, yet another "user's test" of the army version of the Prithvi missile is likely to take place from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur near here next week.

As Prithvi had gone into production, one of the products from the assembly line picked up at random might be test fired but whether it would have a payload or not was not known, sources said.

Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and army personnel had already arrived at the ITR for the purpose.

The army has also set up two separate missile groups, regiments 333 and 355, for handling the missile.

The over four tonne missile will have a range of about 150 km and carry a payload of 500 kg, the sources said.

It is mostly fired from mobile launchers.