The real boost to Indian missile programme was given in early 1979, by initiating India's integrated Guided Missile Development (IGMD) programme, which in 1983 (with an initial Rs 3380 millions budget, now upgraded to Rs 7840 millions) saw the development and flight testing of five missile system, Surface-to-Surface (SSM) Prithvi and Agni, surface- to-air (SAM) Akash and Trishul and the anti-tank missile Nag. Pakistan's perception of an intensification of India's missile challenge accentuated with the relentless pace of Prithvi development which had its first test launch in 1988. By 1996, 16 Prithvi test flights had been conducted. India developed two versions of Prithvi, a mobile, liquid fuelled, ballistic missile, meant exclusively for Pakistan. The SS-150 version for the army possessed a range of 150 kilometres, while SS-250 Airforce variant or Prithvi II, having a range of 250 kilometres and a payload of 500 kilograms. Capable of carrying a nuclear tactical warhead, virtually all of Pakistan's major cities are within the Prithvi's reach. In April 1997, India moved its medium range missiles to prospective launch site at the Indo-Pakistan border near Jullundhar. Meanwhile, repeated Indian announcements of induction of missiles - 75 Prithvis being ordered by Indian army and 25 by its airforce, together with identification of missile sites, added up to a pattern of creeping deployments of the Prithvi. By 1996 an unspecified numbers were believed to be in the possession of ...
Tags: INDIAN MISSILES, agni, akash, prithvi, dhanush, mukeshicyboy
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