India on Friday successfully test fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a navy ship off its eastern coast, officials said. The missile was launched by the Strategic Forces Command off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, Defence Research and Development Organisation spokesman Ravi Gupta said. The Dhanush is a naval variant of the surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile that was developed in India and has a range of 350 kilometres.
"It was a text-book launch, meeting all the mission objectives" Gupta said. The Dhanush can carry a payload of up to 500 kilograms. It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads and is adapted to hit sea- and shore-based targets.