Bhubaneswar:
India today successfully test-fired its surface-to-surface ballistic missile 'Shourya' from a test range in Orissa, defence ministry sources said.
The 600-km-range supersonic missile was launched at 2.30 p.m. from a canister in a ground launch mode at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in the coastal district of Balasore, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.
"The launch of the missile was perfect like in text book and followed the path exactly to the pre-defined target in the Bay of Bengal," S.P. Dash, director of the test range, told IANS.
"All the radar stations, telemetry stations and electro-optical stations all along the east coast have tracked and monitored all the mission parameters. Ships located near the target have also tracked and witnessed the final event. The missile has reached the target within few metres of accuracy," he added.
The missile, which is meant to give the Indian Army a credible second-strike capability, was first tested from the same defence base Nov 12, 2008.
The developmental flight trial of the missile system is a part of the ongoing technology development work undertaken by the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The missile has a unique feature of simplicity of operation and maintenance. It can be easily handled, transported and stored within the canister for longer shelf life.
The high maneuverability of the missile makes it less vulnerable to available anti-missile defence systems, sources said.