NEW DELHI, April 29: India on Tuesday test-fired a medium range surface-to-surface Prithvi missile from a site in Orissa, a defence ministry spoksman said.

“It was successful. The army version of the missile was test-fired,” the spokesman said.

He said the missile had a range of 150 kilometres. The Prithvi missile has three separate versions for the army, navy, and the air force. Prithvi’s navy and air force versions have an extended range of 250 kilometres.

Officials said the test was part of ongoing efforts to fine tune the missile, which has already been inducted into the army.

The 8.5 metre Prithvi missile was last test fired on March 26, when Pakistan responded by firing its Abdali missile.

Prithvi can be tipped with incendiary and fragmentary munitions or can carry a sub-kiloton nuclear warhead for use on massed troops or armoured formations.—AFP