INDIA on Wednesday test-fired two Prithvi-II nuclear-capable ballistic missiles from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the Orissa coast, as part of user trials by the Army. “The surface-to-surface missiles mounted on mobile launchers were test-fired from the launch complex-3 in the ITR at around 0815 and 0915 hours”, defence sources said on Wednesday.

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

The test-firing of the indigenously developed missiles, already been inducted into the armed forces, were routine trials conducted by the personnel of strategic force command (SFC), they said.

The first test-fire has already been found successful, while analyses was on to ascertain the outcome of the second trial, they said.

“The entire trajectory of trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, electro-optic telemetry stations and ships launched in the down range impact point area in the Bay for postlaunch analyses,” the sources said.

During the last user trial from the same launch complex on 24th September, 2010, the missile had failed to perform due to some technical problems.

“Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials earlier," a Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) official said.

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

The missile, which has the features to deceive any anti-ballistic missile, had demonstrated flight duration of483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 kms during users trial in 2008.

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