BHUBANESWAR - India test-fired a short-range nuclear-capable missile on Sunday, a top defence official said, days after a similar test by Pakistan. The indigenously built single-stage missile, Prithvi II, which has been test-fired at least 10 times, was launched off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa.On Thursday, Pakistan successfully fired an intermediate range Hatf 5 (Ghauri) ballistic missile. India had been informed of the test and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said at the time it expected New Delhi to carry out a test shortly. “Today’s test-fire appears to be successful and more trials of the missile will be conducted later this month,” a top Defence Research and Development Organisation official told Reuters.
Future tests would be more exhaustive, he said, with scientists aiming to fire two missiles from different locations and have them collide to test the PrithviÂ’s accuracy. The Prithvi II normally takes 300 seconds to reach a target located at a distance of 150 km (90 miles).