Platform profile · India · Short-range ballistic missile family · Strategic Forces Command / Indian Navy
Prithvi missile family
StableThe operational Prithvi-II was successfully test-fired on 17 July 2025, while Dhanush has had no publicly announced launch since 2018.
On 17 July 2025, the Strategic Forces Command successfully test-fired Prithvi-II from Chandipur alongside Agni-I and validated all operational and technical parameters. The family covers the obsolete Army Prithvi-I, the still-active Prithvi-II and the ship-launched Dhanush variant, which was last publicly test-fired in 2018. Prithvi-II remains part of India's nuclear-capable short-range deterrent, although newer solid-fuel systems such as Pralay are better suited to rapid conventional operations. Continued Strategic Forces Command launches keep this legacy liquid-fuel family relevant to readiness and deterrence, particularly in the India-Pakistan theatre.
Updated 17 Jul 2025
Verified figures
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length (Prithvi-I) | 9.5 m ↗ |
| Diameter (Prithvi-I) | 1.0 m ↗ |
| Weight (Prithvi-I) | 1,500 kg dry; 4,600 kg fully fuelled ↗ |
| Range (Prithvi-I) | 40-150 km ↗ |
| Payload (Prithvi-I) | Up to 1,000 kg ↗ |
| Powerplant (Prithvi-I) | 2 liquid-fuel engines producing up to 3 t of thrust each ↗ |
| Guidance and accuracy (Prithvi-I) | Strapdown inertial guidance; 150-300 m CEP ↗ |
| Range and payload (Prithvi-II) | 350 km; 500 kg or 1,000 kg unitary warhead ↗ |
| Dimensions and launch weight (Dhanush) | 8.56 m length × 1.0-1.1 m diameter; 4,000-5,600 kg ↗ |
| Range and payload (Dhanush) | 150-400 km; 500-1,000 kg ↗ |
Spec sources: missilethreat.csis.org ↗ · missilethreat.csis.org ↗ · missilethreat.csis.org ↗
Changelog
Program timeline
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Prithvi-II and Agni-I were successfully test-fired from Chandipur under the Strategic Forces Command, validating all operational and technical parameters.
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A Prithvi-II training launch from Chandipur struck its target with high accuracy and validated all operational and technical parameters.
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A Prithvi-II user-training missile was launched at approximately 19:30 from Chandipur and successfully validated all operational and technical parameters.
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Indian Army and DRDO personnel conducted a night test of a randomly selected Prithvi-II from a mobile launcher near Chandipur, tracking it to impact in the Bay of Bengal.
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The Strategic Forces Command successfully launched Prithvi-II from Odisha; the 350 km-range missile made terminal impact in the Bay of Bengal.
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The Strategic Forces Command test-fired Dhanush from an Indian Navy Sukanya-class offshore patrol vessel in the Bay of Bengal.
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