India successfully tests nuclear-capable Dhanush missile
Mar 30, 2007 - 6:38:59 PM
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Dhanush was first test-fired on April 11, 2000, from Chandipur. However, it failed at the blast-off stage due to a technical snag in its software system.
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By IANS,
[RxPG] Balasore -, March 30 - India Friday successfully test fired its indigenous Dhanush missile - the nuclear-capable naval version of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile - from a war ship off the Orissa coast, defence sources said.
'The missile was test-fired from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal at a distance of nearly 60 km from the Integrated Test Range of Chandipur and Paradip coast at about 2.30 p.m.,' the defence sources said.
Developed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation - exclusively for the Indian navy, Dhanush has a 250-km striking range and can carry a single warhead up to 750 kg.
The missile, which is a part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, is about 8.53 metres long and 0.9 metre wide and has a launch weight is about 4.4 tonnes. It uses liquid propellant.
India had earlier tested its indigenous air-to-air missile Astra on March 25, 26 and 29 from the Chandipur defence base in the coastal district of Balasore, about 230 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
Dhanush is one of five missiles designed by the DRDO. The others include the short-range ballistic missile Prithvi, medium-range Agni, anti-tank Nag and supersonic Brahmos.
Dhanush was first test-fired on April 11, 2000, from Chandipur. However, it failed at the blast-off stage due to a technical snag in its software system.
The missile was also tested earlier on Sep 21, 2001, on Nov 7, 2004, and Dec 28, 2005, from naval ships positioned in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
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