Glitch halts test-launch of Prithvi missiles

Plans to launch two nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missiles in a salvo mode within a few minutes of each other were aborted at the last minute on Wednesday after a technical glitch developed in one of them.

The missiles which were to be launched by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Armed Forces from the Integrated Test Range, Balasore, were held back, after the problem was detected during the countdown, a top official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told The Hindu.

The problem was being looked into and it was not yet known when the rescheduled test-firing would take place.

The 350-km range Prithvi-II is a single stage, liquid propelled strategic missile and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. It has already been inducted into the armed forces and was tested several times as part of regular user trials. The missile is equipped with an advanced inertial navigation system and can carry payloads ranging from 500 kg to 1,000 kg to a distance of 350 km.