India successfully test fires nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile

India on Monday successfully test fired Prithvi-II -- its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile -- from a test range in Orissa, an official said.

It has a maximum range of 350 km.

The missile blasted off from launch complex No.III at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of Chandipur in Balasore district, around 230 km from Bhubaneswar.

The launch was carried out by the Indian armed forces, as part of regular training exercise, and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

"It was a fantastic launch. The missile met all the mission objectives and it was a perfect text-book launch," SP Dash, director of the test range, told IANS.

The missile reached its predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.

All the radars and electro-optical systems along the coast have monitored the missile throughout its flight path, Dash said and added that an Indian Navy ship near the target witnessed the final event.

Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The medium-range missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds and reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability to carry a 500-kg warhead.

Prithvi uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and comes within metres of its target.

The missile has been successfully flight tested in the past on a  number of times as part of the training exercise.

India successfully test fired Shourya, its surface-to-surface ballistic missile, from the same test base on Saturday.