India once again successfully flight tests surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile from a launch complex at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Orissa

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 25: India on Saturday successfully flight tested
surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile from a launch complex at the
Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Orissa.

The launch was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of
Indian Army as part of regular training exercise.

According to an official statement by the Defence Development and
Research Organisation (DRDO) here, all radar, electro-optical systems
located along the coast tracked and monitored the parametres of the
missile throughout the flight path. An Indian naval ship located near
the target in the Bay of Bengal witnessed the final event.

Prithvi II is the first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic
missile, capable of attacking targets at range of 350 kms. During the
flight test, it reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal
with a very high accuracy of better than 10 metres. The single stage
liquid propelled vehicle developed by DRDO was inducted into the Armed
Forces.

One of the missiles drawn from the inventory of Armed Forces was test
fired by the SFC. The vehicle is guided all through by an accurate
Inertial Navigation System (INS) and controlled by the thrust vector
control and aerodynamic control systems.

The entire launch operations were carried out by the Armed Forces and
monitored by the scientists of the DRDO. The flight test of the
Prithvi II missile met all the mission objectives and was perfect like
textbook launch.

Prithvi II missile has been successfully flight-tested a number of
times as part of development, induction and training exercises.
Saturday’s launch again proves the reliability of Prithvi and confirms
successful induction in services, the DRDO release said.

The team of Armed Forces and scientists were led by the Project
Director Siva Subramanyam and Programme Director, Adalat Ali.

DRDL director AK Chakraborti, associate director RCI G Satheesh Reddy,
Director, ITR,  MVKV Prasad and Dr Manjit Singh were present during
the flight test. Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister Dr V K
Saraswat, who was present during the flight  test, congratulated the
Armed Forces and scientists and other employees of DRDO for the
successful flight test.