India testfires nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile

Balasore—India Sunday successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable air force version of the surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a defence base in Orissa, official sources said.
The missile was test-fired at 9.55 a.m. from a mobile launcher at the Launching Complex 3 of the integrated test range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea in the coastal district of Balasore, about 150 km from capital Bhubaneswar.
Prithvi is one of the five missiles developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of the (DRDO). The Sunday test comes four months after the failed test firing of the intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) Agni-III.
Describing the latest test as routine, an ITR official said several top officials of the DRDO and defence scientists witnessed the Sunday test.
They include Chief Controller Research and Development (CCR&D) of the DRDO and programme director of Prithvi-2, V. Saraswat and director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad Dr Prahallad.—Agencies