Nov 19, 2006, 7:37 GMT
New Delhi - India tested its surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi missile from a military range in the eastern state of Orissa on Sunday, media reports said.
The missile, with a range of 150 to 250 kilometres, was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipore-on-sea in Orissa, the PTI news agency reported quoting defence officials.
Prithvi, which means 'earth' in the Hindi language, is capable of carrying a payload of between 500 kilos and one ton, including nuclear weapons.
Officials described Sunday's test as 'part of the country's air defence exercise' and said some more trials of the missile would be conducted in the coming weeks, the PTI reported.
The missile takes 300 seconds to reach the target located at a distance of 150 kilometres.
Two versions of the missile have already been deployed with India's army and air force. A third version with a longer range of 350 kilometres is currently under development.
Earlier this year, India's federal cabinet approved an order of 54 Prithvi missiles for the air force from the state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited based in the southern city of Hyderabad.
Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles which are being developed under India's integrated missile development programme that includes the intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni, the surface-to-air missile Akash and the anti-tank missile Nag.
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TargetJul 9th, 2007 - 23:05:29
Those missiles are heading towards Pakistan.
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