Prithvi-II user trial fails
24 Sep 2010
Balasore, Orissa: The indigenously developed tactical theatre ballistic missile system, Prithvi-II, faced an aborted launch in the course of a user trial at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Orissa coast on Friday. The problem was described as being technical by defence sources.
The sophisticated missile could not take off during the planned trial from launch complex-III of the test range due to some "technical snag," sources said.
"The failure to lift Prithvi-II was due to a snag either in the main missile or the sub-system, including the launcher," they said.
During Friday's planned trial sources said a noise could be heard even as smoke billowed from the launch site around the time of the firing.
Defence scientists were examining the cause of the failure, they said.
Al previous user trials of the surface-to-surface missile conducted over a one-year period have been successful, with the last trial being conducted on 18 June this year.
