Balasore: Prithvi, the country's most sophisticated surface-to-surface missile, was test-fired from a range at Chandipur-on-sea on Sunday.
Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), who conducted the test with army personnel at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), 15 km from Balasore, described it as a "user trial".
DRDO sources said the missile, mounted on a mobile launcher, was fired at 1340 hrs, IST.
"The user's trial was conducted to further fine-tune the missile delivery system," a source said.
Sunday's trial of Prithvi was tracked by a sophisticated optical tracking telescope, different telemetry stations and a naval vessel positioned in the Bay of Bengal close to the point of impact.
The missile was fired in bright, sunny weather.
Considered a world-class medium range missile, Prithvi has with a strike range of 150 km or more and has been inducted into the armed forces.
The Army had raised two specially trained missile groups, 333 and 355, to handle it.
The 8.56-metre long missile is part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
The other four missiles developed under this programme are Agni, Akash, Trishul and Nag.
Prithvi, which has a launch weight of 4.6 tonnes, can carry a one-tonne conventional or nuclear payload, the sources said.
The missile, with the latest onboard computers and an advanced inertial navigation system, can use both solid and liquid propellants.
The Army variant of the missile can cover 150 km in 300 seconds.
The first trial of Prithvi, before its induction into the Army, was conducted at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on February 22, 1988.
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