{"id":110795,"date":"2026-07-01T12:13:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=110795"},"modified":"2026-07-01T12:13:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:43:18","slug":"prithvi-missile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/prithvi-missile\/","title":{"rendered":"Prithvi Missile, Range, Variants, Features &#038; Role in India\u2019s Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prithvi missile was one of India\u2019s earliest <\/span><b>indigenously developed ballistic missiles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, created to strengthen the country\u2019s <\/span><b>defence and security system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It was part of India\u2019s efforts to build a strong <\/span><b>missile development program<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and reduce dependence on foreign technology. Designed for short-range use, it focused on delivering payloads with <\/span><b>accuracy and reliability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Overall, the Prithvi missile played a crucial role in laying the foundation for India\u2019s <\/span><b>modern missile and strategic defence capabilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Prithvi Missile<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prithvi missile is a family of <\/span><b>indigenously developed short-range surface-to-surface <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/ballistic-missiles\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>ballistic missiles<\/b><\/a><b> (SRBMs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> built by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (DRDO) under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/integrated-guided-missile-development-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme<\/b><\/a><b> (IGMDP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> started in 1983.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was India\u2019s <\/span><b>first indigenous ballistic missile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, successfully test-fired in 1988 from <\/span><b>Sriharikota<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, marking a major step in India\u2019s <\/span><b>defence self-reliance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile can carry both <\/span><b>conventional and nuclear warheads<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making it an important part of India\u2019s <\/span><b>tactical deterrence system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has a strike range of around <\/span><b>150 to 350 km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and is deployed under the <\/span><b>Strategic Forces Command (SFC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Also Read : <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/types-of-missiles-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Missiles of India<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Variants of Prithvi Missile<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Prithvi missile series includes <\/span><b>three main variants<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, each designed for use by a specific branch of the Indian Armed Forces, ensuring flexibility across land, air, and sea operations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prithvi-I (Surface-to-Surface-150)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is used by the <\/span><b>Indian Army<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and has a range of about <\/span><b>150 km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It can carry a payload of up to <\/span><b>1,000 kg<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and uses a <\/span><b>single-stage liquid fuel system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It has been in service since <\/span><b>1994<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, although newer systems like Prahar are gradually replacing it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prithvi-II (Surface-to-Surface-250)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is mainly used by the <\/span><b>Indian Air Force and Army<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It has a longer range of around <\/span><b>250-350 km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and can carry <\/span><b>500-1,000 kg warheads<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It also uses <\/span><b>liquid fuel propulsion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and has been operational since <\/span><b>1996<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prithvi-III (Surface-to-Surface-350)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, also known as <\/span><b>Dhanush<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is the <\/span><b>naval version<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> used by the Indian Navy. It has a range of up to <\/span><b>350 km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and uses a <\/span><b>two-stage propulsion system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (solid fuel in the first stage and liquid fuel in the second). It was successfully tested in <\/span><b>2004<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Prithvi Missile Key Features and Technology\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most important aspects of the Prithvi missile is its <\/span><b>advanced inertial navigation and guidance system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which helps it achieve <\/span><b>high accuracy and precision<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while hitting targets. In some tests, accuracy has been reported to be within <\/span><b>10 meters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is highly reliable for a ballistic missile.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile uses <\/span><b>maneuvering trajectories<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, allowing it to change its path during flight, making it harder for enemy defense systems to intercept it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The propulsion technology used in Prithvi is believed to be influenced by the <\/span><b>Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which was one of the earliest effective missile systems developed in the 1950s.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prithvi missiles are deployed under India\u2019s <\/span><b>Strategic Forces Command (SFC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ensuring centralized control and readiness for strategic operations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Prithvi Missile Role in India\u2019s Defense System<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Prithvi missile plays a crucial role in strengthening India\u2019s <\/span><b>tactical strike capabilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially in short-range combat scenarios. It allows India to respond quickly to threats by targeting key enemy positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its ability to carry <\/span><b>nuclear warheads<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> makes it an important part of India\u2019s <\/span><b>deterrence doctrine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, helping maintain strategic balance in the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, while newer missile systems are being introduced, the Prithvi series still represents a <\/span><b>foundation of India\u2019s missile development journey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and continues to hold historical and strategic importance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prithvi Missile is India&#8217;s first indigenous ballistic missile developed by DRDO. Learn about its variants, range, features, technology, and role in India&#8217;s defence strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":110666,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[5432,5395,8424],"class_list":{"0":"post-110795","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-defence","9":"tag-internal-security","10":"tag-prithvi-missile","11":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110795"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110809,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110795\/revisions\/110809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}