India carried out a test launch of the tactical ballistic missile Prithvi-II on January 10 from a test facility located off the coast of Odisha, and the launch was a success.
According to the statement made by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the missile was able to hit its target with “great precision.”
A training launch of a Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM), Prithvi-II, was successfully completed on January 10, 2023, from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, as per the statement issued by the MoD.
The Prithvi-II missile, which is now a well-established system, has been an essential component of India’s efforts to maintain its nuclear deterrence.
The missile was able to reach its target with incredible accuracy.
Through the user training launch, all of the technical and operational parameters of the missile were examined and found to be satisfactory, added MoD.
The Prithvi family of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, which are used by the Indian Armed Forces, were developed as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) by the Defense Research and Development Organization of the Indian Ministry of Defense (DRDO).
The liquid-propellant engines that power the Prithvi rocket were originally designed for the Soviet V-755 anti-aircraft guided missile that was part of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system. However, they were modified so that they could power the Prithvi rocket.
The first launch of Prithvi-1 occurred on January 25, 1988, while the first launch of Prithvi-2 occurred on January 27, 1996, and the first launch of Prithvi-3 occurred on January 23, 2004.
The Dhanush sea-based launcher had its first ground testing on April 11, 2000, and its first launch from a ship (the Subhadra patrol ship) was on September 21, 2001. Both of these events took place in the year 2001.
The Prithvi-2 (SS-250) is a single-stage, short-range liquid-propellant rocket that may be launched from a mobile launcher. It is an option for the Indian Air Force. The payload can be anywhere from 500 to 750 kilogrammes, and the launch range is 250 kilometres.
The Prithvi missiles are designed to carry a variety of warheads, including fragmentation, cluster, and incendiary warheads. They are also capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
It weighs around 4,600 kilogrammes, measures a length of 8.56 metres, and has a width of 1.1 metres. They are usually transported and launched by a Tatra 8×8, and the Circular error probability is roughly 75 metres.
The Prithvi Missiles are about three decades old and, in future, are scheduled to be replaced by solid fuelled Pralay Missile.
