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India on Friday, May 23, 2008 successfully test fired indigenous surface-to-surface Prithvi missile from the integrated test range (ITR) at Chandipur in Orissa. Defense sources revealed that the Prithvi missile was test-fired as a part of a user’s trial by the Indian army. The 150-200 km range missile can carry a payload of 1000 kg explosives.
The defense sources further remarked that the indigenously built missile, developed by the Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) has already been inducted in the Indian army. The 8.56 meter long and one meter thick Prithvi missile, mounted on a mobile tatra transporter-erector launcher, took off vertically at about 1030 hours and plunged into the pre-designated splash down point in the Bay of Bengal. The test was jointly conducted by the DRDO and the special missile regiment of the army. The Prithvi missile is powered by liquid propellant and can be operated with both liquid as well as solid fuel. All parameters of the missile are now being analyzed after the successful test fire of Prithvi.
