Nuclear-weapon capable, medium range surface-to-surface Prithvi-II and ship-based Dhanush missiles, both having a range of 330 km, would be test-fired as part of user trials on Saturday.
Personnel of the Strategic Forces Command would conduct the trials of both the missiles, which have already been inducted into the Services.
According to DRDO officials, Prithvi-II would be launched from the Integrated test Range, Balasore, while Dhanush would be fired from naval ship Subhadra off the Orissa coast.
ADVERTISEMENT
The user trial of the nuclear-weapon capable surface-to-surface Agni-I, with a range of 700 km, isplanned for Sunday.
Both Prithvi and Dhanush are single stage, liquid propelled systems, and each can carry a payload of 500 kg.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The first paragraph of a report “Test-firing of Prithvi-II, Dhanush today” (March 27, 2010) said that the medium range surface-to-surface Prithvi-II and ship-based Dhanush missiles, both having a range of 330 km, would be test-fired as part of user trials on Saturday, while the third paragraph of a report “Dhanush, Prithvi-II test-fired successfully” (March 28, 2010) said that each missile had achieved its full range (Dhanush 350 km and Prithvi-II 290 km). This led to a query.
The writer clarifies that while Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) sources (on March 26, 2010) incorrectly mentioned the range of both the missiles to be 330 km, the next day, following the successful launch, stated that the missiles had touched a range of 350 km (Dhanush) and 290 km (Prithvi-II). The full range of Dhanush is 350 km while Prithvi-II's is 295 km.