BALASORE: In a significant air defence exercise, the Army is set to test-fire two surface-to-surface ballistic missiles from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast on Wednesday. Sources told ‘The Express’ that two indigenously built nuke-capable Prithvi-II missiles will be launched back-to-back to demonstrate the effectiveness in a war-like situation. While range coordination has been completed, the missiles are integrated with the specially erected launchers for the tests. ‘’We are prepared to carry out the tests within a gap of nearly five to ten minutes in the morning if there is no dense fog,’’ said an official. The missiles will be tested by Strategic Forces Command, a special regiment raised by the Army with the logistics support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Prithvi is the first ballistic missile developed under the country’s most ambitious integrated guided missile development programme. The sources said, the 9-metre high and one-metre thick Prithvi missile, with a launch weight of 4.6 tonne, has a strike range of up to 350 km. Powered by liquid propellant, Prithvi can operate with both liquid as well as solid fuel. The missile has the capability to carry a payload of up to 1000 kg but if it was reduced by half, the striking range could be enhanced. Prithvi has been designed to deliver advanced conventional warheads deep into enemy territory. Developed as a battlefield missile, it can carry nuclear warhead as a tactical nuclear weapon. It can be taken close to the forward line over any kind of terrain. The missile stops climbing when it reaches an altitude of 30 km and dives the target at an 80 degree angle.
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