India on Tuesday successfully carried out a test launch of Prithvi-II missile from a firing range in Odisha, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Prithvi-II is a nuclear-capable missile and is an upgraded version of Prithvi-I missile. It has a range of around 350 kms, according to the Missile Defense Project of think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which adds that it has been in service since 2003.
The MoD in a statement said that the missile struck the target with high accuracy and all test objectives are fulfilled.
"A successful training launch of a Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II was carried out on January 10, 2023 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha...The missile struck its target with high accuracy. The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile," said the MoD in a statement.
The Prithvi-II is a a short-range ballistic missile and an "integral part of India's nuclear deterrence", as per the MoD.
The Missile Defense Project of CSIS notes that there could be up to 30 nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missiles.
"Like the Prithvi-I, the missile is capable of loading a variety of conventional unitary and submunition warheads, but is explicitly described as a 'nuclear-capable' system by the Indian government. Thirty Prithvi-II missiles are believed to carry nuclear warheads. India has also begun upgrading its Prithvi-Is to the Prithvi-II configuration, but it is unclear how many of these upgrades India has completed," notes CSIS.
