It was a red-letter day for the country on Saturday. Adding another feather in its cap, India for the first time successfully test-fired nuke-capable Dhanush and Prithvi-II missiles from two separate locations off the Orissa coast in the dawn hours. Earlier trials on the two missiles were either conducted during forenoon or afternoon. Defence sources said, while the ship-launched Dhanush missile was test-launched at 5.30 am from INS Subhadra positioned about 50 nautical miles from Puri coast, the surface-to-surface Prithvi-II was flight tested a few minutes later from the launching complex III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. Both the indigenously developed missiles were tested in Salvo mode by the armed forces as part of the regular training exercise. The trajectories of both the missiles were monitored by a widespread tracking network consisting of radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems spread over land and sea. Both were text book launches and met all the mission objectives. All the mission sequencing events occurred as expected. “Advanced navigation and guidance systems were flight tested in this exercise,’’ said a defence official. Both the missiles are under production after successfully completion of developmental trials and have been inducted into the Armed Forces. The tests were carried out by Armed Forces while the DRDO scientists only oversaw the operations, the official said. Dhanush, the indigenously developed naval version of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), has a striking range upto 350 km and can carry single warhead, conventional or nuclear up to 500 kg. Developed by the DRDO, the missile is about 8.53 metres in length and 0.9 metre in diameter besides its launch weight is about 4.4 tonnes. This single stage missile uses liquid propellant. It can be used as an anti-ship weapon as well as for destroying land targets depending on the range. The Prithvi-II is however the first missile developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. It has the capability to carry 500 Kg of warhead. It has a length of nine meters with one metre diameter and launch weight about 4.6 tonne and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engine.
CHRONOLOGY OF PRITHVI-II MISSILE TEST
JAN 27, 1996: India conducts the first test flight of the Prithvi-II ballistic missile from the ITR at Chandipur-on-sea
MAR 2004: India test-fires an “improved’’ version of its Prithvi-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile with an extended-range of 250 km and “much higher accuracy,” according to a defence ministry official
NOV 19, 2006: Indian Army tests Prithvi-II missile from LC-III of the ITR
MAY 23, 2008: First Limited Stock Production (LSP) series test of Prithvi-II conducted from LC-III of the ITR OCT 12, 2009: Armed forces for the first time successfully test two nuclear capable Prithvi-II missiles in quick succession in salvo mode from two mobile launchers stationed in the ITR
CHRONOLOGY OF DHANUSH MISSILE TEST
APR 11, 2000: India conducts first test of the medium-range Dhanush missile, a naval version of the Prithvi from INS Subhadra, a Sukanya class patrol craft in Bay of Bengal. The missile was tested for 250 km range
NOVEMBER 2004: India test-fires the 350 km-range Dhanush missile, marking the induction of the system into the Navy. Dhanush is the naval version of the Prithvi-II
MAR 30, 2007: Navy personnel test Dhanush missile from a warship in Bay of Bengal to gauge the performance accuracy
DEC 13, 2009: Sixth test of the Dhanush missile conducted from INS Subhadra anchored in the sea
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