India Successfully Test-Fires Two Prithvi-2 Ballistic Missiles
India successfully test-fires two Prithvi-2 ballistic missiles, amid tensions with China and Pakistan.
India successfully test-fired two Prithvi-2 ballistic missiles off the east coast of Balasore in Odisha on Wednesday. This nuclear-rich missile is capable of hitting from surface to surface.
This is the test of the Prithvi-2 missile within a month. The missile was test-fired off the Odisha coast on 20 November this year.
The Prithvi-2 ballistic missile is indigenously developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Prithvi-2 missile has a range of 350 km.
The night trial of this missile was carried out from the mobile launcher from Compax-3 between 7 pm and 7.15 pm.
Earlier on 1 December, the anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile developed by DRDO with a strike range of 300 km successfully killed its target ship in a test-fire.
Features of Prithvi-2 missile
Prithvi-2 is capable of carrying weapons ranging from 500 to 1,000 kg. The surface-to-surface missile, which hit three hundred and fifty kilometers, has two liquid-fueled engines. It is operated with both liquid and solid fuels.
Air Force to get 360-degree surveillance capability on the Chinese border, six new vox aircraft to be deployed
India has decided to build six new Airborne Early Warning and Control Planes to further strengthen the surveillance capability along the Line of Actual Control with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan.
Six new Air India aircraft will be used for this. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will develop these aircraft and is expected to give a boost to the indigenous defense industry as well.
Also, after getting six new surveillance aircraft, the monitoring capability of the Air Force will increase tremendously.
According to government sources, the AEW&C Block-2 aircraft will be developed through DRDO under a project of Rs 10,500 crore.
For this, six aircraft will be acquired from Air India and will be converted to fly with radar.
The construction of these aircraft will help the Armed Forces to develop 360-degree defense capability.
The sources said the AEW&C Block-2 aircraft will be stronger than the eye surveillance aircraft and provide 360-degree coverage inside enemy territory.
The acquisition of six aircraft from Air India for the development of new aircraft means that the plan to buy six Airbus 330 transport aircraft from a European company has been shelved.
